“He was kind of like, 'No, I can't take it” - Larsa Pippen on the dreams she sacrificed for marriage with Scottie
- Larsa Pippen reveals feeling forced to suppress her own identity throughout her marriage to Scottie Pippen.
For a long time, Larsa and Scottie Pippen seemed to embody the image of a powerful, successful, famous couple. Their relationship lasted more than 20 years, surviving the chaos that came with the fame and raising four children.
But behind the scenes, Larsa reveals that she slowly felt forced to suppress parts of herself throughout the marriage. Over the years, much of the discussion about the divorce focused on the usual celebrity drama. However, she bares it all, saying that she was never really allowed to pursue her own identity while Scottie 's career and later, retirement were the priority.
"I feel like in the beginning, like when Scottie and I first got together, like I just signed with ICM in LA. I was gonna pursue an acting career, I had gotten a political science degree. I was either gonna go to law school, or I was gonna try acting," she said .
"He didn't want me to do anything," Larsa continued. "He was kind of like, 'No, I can't take it. You have to come to my games, you have to be at my practices.' And I wanted to be there for him, like I loved him."
Scottie's career over Larsa's ambitions
During Scottie's playing days, especially in his later years, Larsa was always there to support him fully, to the point that former teammate John Salley once recalled she frequently traveled with the team and was deeply involved in his daily routines.
At first, that support system was natural, like any other marriage. But eventually, once Scottie retired, Larsa expected the balance in their relationship to evolve as well. Instead, she says the support she gave was requited.
"I was there to support him and do whatever I had to do for him, but then at some point, like the scale changed," she stated. "The scale started to shift a little bit, and I was like, 'Hey, you're retired, by the way, I want to start a jewelry line.'
"I want to do some things that I'm interested in doing, and it wasn't reciprocated in the same way," added Larsa.
Larsa believes part of the issue came from Scottie struggling to adjust to who she had become over time in their marriage. After all, her ambitions of trying out different things after finishing her political science degree at the University of Illinois were put on the back burner after she met and married the Bulls legend.
Ultimately, she was no longer the same woman who had wanted her ambitions derailed, especially after becoming a mother and a public figure with a growing following and various business ventures. Larsa viewed her marriage as two people eventually growing in different directions, emotionally and professionally.
"I don't talk bad about him. People make decisions based on where they are too. He probably felt like he wanted me to be the same person I was at 22," Larsa stated. "I just wasn't, and I couldn't change it. I wanted to grow, to experience things, and to do things."
Larsa's new identity
Since the divorce, Larsa has become focused on building her brand and personal ventures. Her jewelry line has become one of the first major projects she has embraced after years of feeling creatively limited. Beyond that, she expanded into fashion collaborations and continued her television appearances, specifically through "The Real Housewives of Miami."
In many ways, her post-divorce chapter has been her rediscovering and reclaiming her individuality. Larsa has remained a public figure, and despite many still referring to her as Scottie's ex-wife, she is living her life as if it were a new opportunity to pursue the ambitions she once wanted.
"People live in my past more than I do. I'm like, dude, I am living right now, I'm in the present right now," she said.
Ultimately, Larsa views her post-divorce life as a new chapter. She isn't downplaying or even ignoring her years with Scottie, but she is actively pursuing a new path she has always wanted to walk.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on May 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
