What a tangled web the Lakers have weaved.
Hours before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, the Lakers acquired Malik Beasley from the Jazz, along with D’Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt as part of a deal with the Timberwolves. Beasley’s move to Los Angeles now means he’ll be part of the same organization that employs Scotty Pippen Jr. – the 22-year-old son of his highly-publicized former fling, Larsa Pippen.
Larsa, the ex-wife of Bulls legend Scottie Pippen, was briefly linked to the 26-year-old Beasley in late 2020, when the twosome was photographed holding hands in Miami. The photos “blindsided” Beasley’s wife, Montana Yao, sources told TMZ at the time.
In the wake of the scandal, Yao filed for divorce. At the time, Scotty also appeared to address the ordeal on Twitter.
“Focused on myself and my goals. I’m not responsible for nobody’s actions. All good over here,” Scotty wrote on the social media platform not long after photos emerged of his mother with Beasley.
Months after the initial sighting, Beasley and the “Real Housewives of Miami” star, 48, parted ways in April 2021. He then issued a public apology to Yao, writing in part on Instagram, “I wana say sorry for putting you in the situation you were put in the last few months.”
Beasley and Yao later welcomed their second child in November 2022, a baby girl named Mia, who joined big brother Makai.
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Larsa — who shares sons Scotty, Preston, 21, Justin, 18, and daughter Sophia, 14, with the 57-year-old Pippen — has since been linked to Marcus Jordan, the 32-year-old son of her ex-husband’s former teammate, Michael Jordan. The two made their romance Instagram official last month.
Scotty, a former Vanderbilt product, signed a two-way contract with the Lakers last summer following the NBA draft. The Pippen family celebrated the memorable night together, according to social media posts from Larsa.