Basketball Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen announced the death of his oldest son, Antron, in an Instagram post on Monday.
It’s unclear how Antron Pippen died.
“I’m heartbroken to share that yesterday, I said goodbye to my firstborn son Antron,” Scottie Pippen said in an Instagram post Monday. “The two of us shared a love for basketball and we had countless conversations about the game.”
According to Yahoo Sports, Antron Pippen was born on Dec. 29, 1987. He’s the oldest of Scottie Pippen’s seven children and the only son Scottie Pippen had with his first wife, Karen McCollum.
Antron Pippen played basketball collegiality at Texas A&M International University — an NCAA Division II school — in Laredo, Texas. According to Scottie Pippen’s social media posts, his son played through an asthma condition that limited his potential in basketball.
“Antron suffered from chronic asthma and if he hadn’t had it, I truly believe he would've made it to the NBA. He never let that get him down, though—Antron stayed positive and worked hard, and I am so proud of the man that he became,” Scottie Pippen wrote Monday.
He later played semi-professional basketball in the World Basketball Association following his college days.
“Please keep his mom, Karen, and all of his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers. A kind heart and beautiful soul gone way too soon,” Scottie Pippen wrote. “I love you, son, rest easy until we meet again.”
