Empty the Bench

Well, well, well… it seems that our assertion about financial problems being a possible reason for Scottie Pippen’s comeback might be accurate after all. Lacy J. Banks at the Chicago Sun-Times reports that Pippen owes U.S. Bank $5.021 million from a dispute stemming from a private jet and company Scottie once owned:

Pippen said the charter-plane issue is one of many poor business decisions that were made primarily by a former agent, whom he blames for causing him to lose about $27 million in bad investments and questionable accounting. Pippen sued his former law firm in 2005, claiming he had been swindled, but he lost the case.

In terms of the plane, court documents claimed Pippen was using charter planes so often in 2001, when he was playing for the Portland Trail Blazers, that a pilot persuaded him to consider buying his own jet. Consequently, Pippen and his wife, Larsa, borrowed $4.375 million from an aircraft finance company, JODA LLC, in the St. Louis area.

Folks, that’s not a typo—Pippen is responsible for $27 million worth of bad investments! You’d think that after losing a cool, say, $13 mil he’d back off investing in such can’t-miss ventures as edible deodorant, Crystal Pepsi, stone-washed jeans, and Zubaz. And the twin-engine corporate jet this random pilot convinced him to buy? Apparently there’s no proof that Pippen even got around to using it. Scottie, I have $6 and some loose change burning a hole in my pocket… I’d love to hear your ideas on how to spend it.