Scottie Pippen shares heartbreaking tribute to ‘faithful & humble’ late son Antron, 33, who ‘would’ve made NBA’
SCOTTIE Pippen penned a moving tribute to his "faithful" and "humble" son Antron as he was laid to rest in a funeral ceremony over the weekend.
at the age of 33. While his cause of death has not yet been disclosed by the family, he was known to suffer from chronic asthma.
The eldest of the Pippen's children, Antron "would've made it to the NBA" if not for his condition, his father previously said.
Antron was laid to rest in a funeral ceremony in Conyers, Georgia on Saturday morning.
After the service, Scottie Pippen took to Instagram to pay tribute to his "faithful, humble and resilient" son.
"Loved by all who knew him," the 55-year-old Chicago Bulls legend continued. "His life and legacy will endure. RIP."
The post included an image of Antron and his father smiling as they embraced court-side at an NBA game in the 1990s.
Antron before they separated in 1990.
Karen shared an image of Antron's memorial program on Instagram on Tuesday.
The image also showed her clutching a red rose next to her son's face.
"Your wings were ready but my heart wasn't," McCollum's gut-wrenching post began.
"Son, it has been such a pleasure and honor to be your mother. You've left me with so many wonderful memories that I will treasure daily.
"Your transition has left a huge gap in my heart and the pain is quite unbearable. I will miss you tremendously and my love for you is forever. Rest well, my baby boy, until we meet again."
Anton is the to tragically pass away.
One of his daughters, Tyler, died nine days after her birth in 1994.
News of Antron's death was first revealed by his father, who took to Twitter to share his grief over his son's passing.
"I'm heartbroken to share that yesterday, I said goodbye to my firstborn son Antron," he wrote on April 19.
"The two of us shared a love for basketball and we had countless conversations about the game."
The NBA hall of famer continued: "Antron suffered from chronic asthma and if he hadn't had it, I truly believe he would've made it to the NBA. He never let that get him down, though - Antron stayed positive and worked hard, and I am so proud of the man that he became.
"Please keep his mom, Karen, and all of his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers. A kind heart and beautiful soul gone way too soon. I love you, son, rest easy until we meet again."
Despite his asthma diagnosis, Antron , even following in his footsteps to play college basketball for Texas A&M International University.
He eventually gave up his pursuit of a career in professional basketball and instead settled for playing for a local team in Atlanta while he worked full-time as a machine technician.
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Antron had been living and working in The Big Peach at the time of his death.
He grew up in the suburb of Lawrenceville in Atlanta and graduated from Collins Hill High School in Suwanee in 2006.
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"He’s a late bloomer like me," Scottie Pippen said to the Atlanta Journal-Consitution back in 2006.
"He’s probably better than I was as a high school player."