Asking "Ethereum or Solana?" — NBA star Pippen, who previously launched NFTs, is returning to the crypto space to make moves
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Asking "Ethereum or Solana?" — NBA star Pippen, who previously launched NFTs, is returning to the crypto space to make moves
In several recent tweets, NBA legend Pippen hinted that he will take action again in the cryptocurrency industry.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsAuthor: Zen, PANews
In today's (July 23) NBA Summer League championship game between the Grizzlies and the Heat, the Heat narrowly defeated the Grizzlies with a last-second shot in overtime. Memphis player Scotty Pippen Jr. delivered an outstanding performance, recording an impressive stat line of 29 points, 5 rebounds, 11 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks.
Scotty Jr.'s all-around excellence inevitably evokes memories of his legendary father, Scottie Pippen—the versatile small forward who helped Michael Jordan build the Bulls dynasty. Now, two decades after retiring from basketball, the NBA icon appears to be considering an investment in cryptocurrency.
"Ethereum or Solana?" On July 21, Pippen posed this question on X (formerly Twitter), drawing widespread attention and comments from across the crypto community. Dogecoin co-founder Billy Markus explicitly replied that he backs Dogecoin as the top choice. Others joked, "You're not fooling anyone—you never tip anyway," referencing Pippen’s long-standing nickname “No-Tip Pippen” stemming from past controversies over restaurant tipping.
This surprising post stands in stark contrast to Pippen’s usual social media content, which typically revolves around themes of nostalgia, retro moments, and family life. In two follow-up tweets, he continued questioning whether “meme coins or utility tokens?” and then, earlier today, declared, “Something big is happening on blockchain! Still a secret for now.”
Previously launched NFT collection featuring virtual sneakers two years ago
Three consecutive tweets related to blockchain and cryptocurrency suggest that the nearly 60-year-old basketball legend is now engaging with the crypto space. However, this isn’t the first time Pippen has mentioned digital assets on X (or Twitter). His initial foray into the world of digital assets dates back two years.
In December 2022, Pippen partnered with NFT startup Orange Comet to launch his own NFT sneaker collection titled “Scottie Pippen SP33.” Riding the NFT hype wave at the time, the collection sold out all 1,000 NFTs in under two minutes, boosted by Pippen’s star power. He promptly took to Twitter to express gratitude, saying he felt “humbled” by the overwhelming response. According to CoinGecko data, the floor price of the collection peaked at 0.347 ETH on December 23, 2022, but has since dropped nearly 96.5%.
Post-retirement financial missteps: hundreds of millions lost
As early as 2012, reports revealed that Pippen was facing financial ruin. Despite his success on the court, he struggled with money management and gradually squandered his career earnings totaling $120 million.
He entrusted a large sum to a financial institution, only to lose $25 million after they cited “investment failure” as the reason. Additionally, Pippen spent $4 million on a private jet that crashed just months later. These setbacks plunged him into severe financial hardship; in 2007, he even considered making a comeback to professional basketball, though nothing came of it. Today, Pippen primarily works as a farmer in his hometown of Arkansas, running a farm with his brother, while occasionally appearing as a media guest on various programs.
Two years ago, shortly before officially launching the “Scottie Pippen SP33” NFT series, Pippen discussed his entry into the crypto space during an interview with CoinDesk TV—though he admitted he hadn't purchased any tokens yet. “I’m a bit scared,” he said. “If I can’t go all in, I won’t touch it at all.” Perhaps due to his earlier financial losses, Pippen remains cautious about high-risk investments. Rather than speculating on volatile digital assets, he seems to prefer safer, more guaranteed opportunities. Thus, his recent tweets may not be about investing—they might instead signal intentions to launch his own token. When he says “something big is happening on blockchain,” it sounds less like an investor’s curiosity and more like a teaser for an upcoming celebrity token launch.
Recently, celebrity tokens have surged in popularity, with several Trump-related meme coins gaining massive traction. In entertainment, rapper Iggy Azalea launched her own token MOTHER, which skyrocketed in value during its first week, briefly reaching a $200 million market cap. Amid this trend, will Pippen—who clearly shows both interest and action—follow suit and issue his own token? And if so, how will it perform? PANews will continue to monitor developments.
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