Larsa Pippen Tweets Scottie's Career Earnings; More Than Michael Jordan Received

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

Scottie Pippen was the focus of The Last Dance's second hour Sunday night—particularly his below-market, seven-year, $18 million contract with the Chicago Bulls that created tension between the parties toward the end of his run with the franchise.

All that said, Pippen's ex-wife, Larsa, is coming to his defense.

Larsa Pippen tweeted out Scottie's overall salary from his NBA playing career, which topped $100 million by the time he retired:

Pippen's $109.19 million career earnings were greater than Michael Jordan's $93.29 million, which even includes His Airness' salary during his 18-month baseball hiatus. Jordan made most of his NBA salary in his final two years with the Bulls, earning over $30 million each season.

The vast majority of Pippen's NBA earnings came after his prime following his departure from Chicago. The Houston Rockets signed him to a five-year, $67.2 million contract ahead of the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season. He lasted only one year in Houston before a falling out with Charles Barkley led to a trade to the Portland Trail Blazers, where he spent the next four years.

Pippen's career ended after a brief return to Chicago that lasted all of 23 games but netted him over $10 million. He made more on a per-year basis on the contract he signed at age 38 than he did his entire prime.

The Last Dance spent quite a bit of its second hour exploring Pippen's falling out with the Bulls, much of which stemmed from Pippen signing the seven-year, $18 million contract that enveloped most of his prime. After growing up in poverty in Arkansas, Pippen said the security the deal provided played a factor in his signing the contract against advice.

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The Bulls' unwillingness to give Pippen a raise once he outperformed the deal played a large part in his departure from the franchise.