Who ever thought of Scottie Pippen as a fighter? Well, the Chicago Bulls' forward is now facing a $4 million lawsuit after an altercation with a fan seeking an autograph last month at Nobu, a restaurant in Malibu. Camran Shafighi, who is 49 years old, wants to sue Pippen due to "headaches, nausea, breathing difficulties and other ongoing medical issues" as the injuries have kept the man from running his business.
According to investigators, Shafighi was intoxicated when he began snapping pictures of the Hall of Famer inside of the restaurant and out in the parking lot. Shafighi then asked Pippen for an autograph outside, when an argument ensued. Things quickly developed and Pippen proceeded to lay a smackdown on the drunken fan.
Shafighi's attorney, Lee Boyd, had the following to say about the altercation, "This has been pretty devastating to him. This was not the result of some drunken barroom brawl. This is a guy who wanted to take a picture with a cellphone." The Chicago Tribune points out that at first, authorities considered arresting Pippen, however, the former Bull cooperated with investigators and avoided arrest.
Boyd points out, Pippen left the scene after punching Shafighi in the head and then repeatedly kicking him while unconscious. Pippen got on his Range Rover and never reported the injury to authorities, leaving the man behind.
Click here to watch a picture of Shafighi as he was carried out in a stretcher.
Pippen will always be remembered for his 11 seasons with the Chicago Bulls where he won six championships and was known as Michael Jordan's right-hand man. It would be smart for Pippen, in the future, to recognize that people will be seeking money out of the future star. He's a legend of the game and might want to be a little more discrete when rejecting fans' autograph requests.
