Scottie Pippen fans want to know the inspiration behind the retired NBA star’s freshly braided hairstyle. The former Chicago Bulls small forward recently ditched his short locs for straight-back cornrows.
Throughout his 17-year career and retirement, Pippen has rocked nearly every hairstyle imaginable, from a high-top to a small, compact afro, a shaved head, and a few others.
But now, a photo of him in a beautician’s chair showing off a close-up shot of his new do is circulating on social media. To boot, the braided look is hardly new to his lexicon of hair options; it is one he revisits from time to time.
There is no indication of when the photo was snapped or if it has been altered, but none of those details seem to matter to the trolls making a field day out of picking apart the six-time league championship-winning basketball player’s appearance.
It just looks like Scottie is going thru a mid-life crisis which is normal. We’ll all go thru one if we get that age. I just hope I got Scottie Pippen money to go thru a midlife crisis. Think about how much worse his midlife crisis would look if he was broke pic.twitter.com/aib5sZz4BP
— Burnt Excellence (@talibbabb) July 9, 2020
On Instagram, one user quipped, “Brotha wait till he is 65 years old to put braids in his head another brotha trying to look young.” Someone else chimed in with, “He’s not looking too good.” And a third made matters even more serious with their comment that read, “I think he is sick.”
Pippen, 59, has a history of longstanding back issues but has never publicly disclosed other health concerns. Elsewhere in the discourse about his updated style, users took the liberty to mention his ex-wife, Larsa Pippen, 50. The former couple divorced in 2021 after 24 years as husband and wife.
The first person to name-drop her in the comments typed, “All that worrying over larsa got to him.” The second person to do so remarked, “Larsa got that man aging fast.” And a third said, “Larissa is NOT coming back bro,” seemingly alluding to Pippen’s youthful hairdo being a subtle attempt to impress his ex, who has been linked to younger men since their split.
Larsa Pippen, 50, and her bf Jeff Coby, 31, at the Los Angeles premiere of ‘The Accountant 2.’ #RHOM pic.twitter.com/qTHHlipjex
— Bye Wig Hello Drama (@nosmokenomore) April 19, 2025
Her dating past includes rapper Future and NBA players Tristan Thompson and Malik Beasley. She was in a controversial off-and-on relationship with Marcus Jordan, son of Pippen’s former Bulls teammate Michael Jordan, for two years before ending things for good in 2024. She is currently cozying up to professional basketball player Jeff Coby, 31.
Despite being a public figure, the retired hooper has managed to keep his love life under wraps. In 2023, paparazzi caught him gallivanting in Los Angeles with a younger woman, but the nature of their relationship was never exposed.
‘Another Brotha Trying to Look Young’: Scottie Pippen Caught in the Throes of Another ‘Midlife Crisis’ as Fans Suspect He’s Trying to Woo Ex-Wife Larsa Back Amid Her New Romance With 31-Year-Old Basketball Player