Antron, who played basketball in college and shared many of his father’s professional dreams, was the first of Pippen’s seven children and his only son with ex-wife Karen McCollum.
Pippen did not reveal the cause of Antron’s death or his age.
“A kind heart and a beautiful soul are gone too soon,” Pippen wrote Monday in a post remembering Antron. “I love you, son, calm down, until we meet again.”
The former Chicago Bull influenced his son to practice the sport in which he became known and improve his game, Antron Pippen said in 2005 from the NBPA Top 100 High School camp, where he played alongside big futures like Steph Curry.
“He tells me a lot of things, like he has to be stronger,” Antron told USA Today from camp. “I try to make my own game, but I try to play defense like him.”
He played a basketball season in South Georgia Technical College from 2006 to 2007 and another season at Texas A&M International University from 2008 to 2009, according to his ESPN athlete profile.
Pippen said Monday that his son “suffered from chronic asthma” and that he could have played in the NBA as well, had it not been for his illness.
“He never left, but Antron stayed positive and worked hard, and I’m so proud of the man he became,” he tweeted.
The six-time NBA champion asked fans to pray for McCollum and the rest of Antron’s loved ones.