In 2016, Scottie Pippen’s wife blasted Christian Laettner over his debt stemming from a million-dollar investment that ultimately failed.
In 2007, Christian Laettner talked Scottie Pippen into joining an investment group that could potentially purchase the Memphis Grizzlies. That group included Laettner himself and his former Duke teammate Brian Davis. Unfortunately, the sale never went through, and Pippen demanded to get his money back.
However, Laettner couldn't comply, prompting his former Dream Team teammate to file a lawsuit in 2010. Scottie was then awarded $2.5 million, which Laettner and his group had to pay.
In 2016, reports said that Laettner still owes Pippen at least $600,000 and Scottie's now ex-wife Larsa wasn't happy about it at all. In a pair of tweets, Larsa lashed out at Laettner.
"Hey @laettnerbball are you ever gonna pay us back homie?," she wrote.
"It's crazy you've been f***ing us around forever @laettnerbball. Homie how do u sleep at night," she added.
Laettner's financial struggle
Laettner played in the NBA from 1992 to 2005 and reportedly earned over $60 million throughout his career. However, despite embarking on several business ventures and investments, he struggled financially in his post-NBA life.
In 2016, creditors attempted to advise Laettner to file for bankruptcy after he needed to pay back $14 million to multiple investors. Somehow, the All-Star power forward was able to avoid bankruptcy by reaching a repayment plan.
Pippen thought Wilkins should've replaced Laettner in the Dream Team
Aside from the off-the-court conflict, Pippen was also not impressed by Laettner's basketball skills. In his controversial 2021 autobiography Unguarded, the Chicago Bulls legend expressed his views on Laettner's inclusion on the Dream Team.
For Scottie, Laettner was not worthy of a spot on the star-studded roster. Instead, Pippen advocated for selecting his fellow Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins, arguing that "The Human Highlight Film" would have been a much more deserving candidate.
"I agreed with each pick except Laettner," Pippen wrote. "I didn't think he would fit in, and I was right. The committee should have chosen another NBA player, and plenty were worthy. My preference was Dominique Wilkins."
In conclusion, Pippen's unfiltered perspective and take on Laettner speak volumes about the complexities and intrigues surrounding the forming of the Dream Team, which featured some of the greatest basketball players in the sport's history.
At the same time, it's difficult not to think that his apparent disdain for Laettner understandably might have something to do with their past dispute over money.
