Scottie Pippen explores the intersection of basketball and blockchain with his $BALL project, aiming to turn cultural items into digital assets.

Scottie Pippen Ventures into Crypto with $BALL Project to Merge Culture and Blockchain

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Scottie Pippen’s New Venture Into the Crypto World

Former NBA star Scottie Pippen is jumping into the world of cryptocurrency, but it’s not for the fame. He’s here to blend culture with blockchain. As part of a growing group of athletes exploring crypto, Pippen sees blockchain as more than just a financial tool—it’s a way to bring meaningful cultural elements into the digital space.

Pippen, who boasts six NBA championships, seven All-Star selections, and two Olympic gold medals, is broadening his reach beyond basketball. His new project, $BALL, aims to connect physical objects, like the basketball from his first NBA title, to digital assets. This idea hinges on the belief that cultural treasures can have value across blockchains, generations, and communities.

Reflecting on his NBA days, Pippen recalled how little players discussed investing. While some athletes, like Junior Bridgeman, quietly built successful businesses post-retirement, investing wasn’t commonly talked about in the locker room. Bridgeman turned his NBA salary into ownership of over 400 Wendy’s and Chili’s locations, something that stood out to Pippen. Pippen tried to follow a similar path with Taco Bell franchises early in his career, but disagreements with his partners forced him out of the deal.

Despite those early bumps, Pippen’s interest in business grew, and crypto caught his eye. His curiosity about Bitcoin started three years ago, but it wasn’t until the price fell to $17,000 that he and his team really took it seriously. As Bitcoin shot back up, hitting $33,000—a number that matched Pippen’s jersey—he knew it was time to get involved.

Pippen’s belief in Bitcoin led him to launch $BALL, a crypto project centered around a truly special object: the basketball from his first NBA title in 1991. What began as a discussion about meaningful possessions soon turned into a bigger vision—turning cultural icons into digital assets. “It’s not about personal accolades,” Pippen said. “It’s about teamwork and the cultural power that the ball holds.”

$BALL has expanded into a full ecosystem, blending gaming, clothing, AI, and even a documentary, all tied to the physical basketball. Unlike other athletes who have dabbled in crypto for sponsorships or one-time projects, Pippen’s focus is on legacy and storytelling. His team believes basketball is a universal language, and they’re making it accessible on the blockchain for everyone to understand.

In the coming year, $BALL will expand into various projects, including partnerships with popular games like Fortnite and a mobile game called Meme Ball. They also plan to launch a trash-talking AI, a documentary, and a physical-digital tour to bridge Web2 and Web3.

Pippen’s journey into crypto is about more than just tokens. He and his team are betting that cultural treasures, like a basketball, can one day become valuable assets in the blockchain world. “People didn’t believe in Bitcoin. Then they didn’t believe in Dogecoin,” Pippen said. “Now we’re creating something new: real-world objects with cultural significance.”

While Pippen is now fully immersed in the crypto world, he’s still learning from others. After joking about knowing the true identity of Bitcoin’s creator, Pippen shared that Michael Saylor from MicroStrategy advised him to focus on the business side and stop speculating. “I’ll keep my mouth shut and follow his lead,” Pippen laughed.

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