Scottie Pippen: LeBron could be better than MJ

Jordan didn't have to leave his original team to win a title. LeBron went to someone else's team, a team that had already won a title without him. I don't remember the Bulls signing a big-name free agent (unless Rodman counts) during the time Jordan was there.

 

Jordan would have never quit on his team like LeBron did in Game 5 of the Cleveland-Boston series. Jordan would cut out your heart and beat you to death. LeBron wants to be liked by the other players. Jordan was a cold-blooded player with an incredible, unmatched will to win. LeBron is a celebrity who just happens to play basketball. No comparison.

 

I think that's way too harsh an assessment. If they win this year, LeBron's as big a reason as any for that happening. He pretty much took over the Bulls series in the closing minutes the last 3 games and is the main reason they won those games.

And he's hardly just a few steps above a role player. And in terms of a Pippen/Jordan comparison, look at the career stats and tell me who doesn't belong:

Jordan 30 ppg, 6 rpg, 5 apg
James 28 ppg, 7 rpg, 7 apg
Pippen 16 ppg, 6 rpg, 4 apg

Does he have the jewelry of Jordan? No, at least not yet. I understand there's a ton of disdain for James. But, as an individual basketball player, he's going to end up being one of the elite, maybe on a very, very short list, even if a lot of folks won't like or admit it.

 

And that's a sports tragedy in a way, isn't it?

Watch his skills. Watch how he can take over a game when he wants to. Completely dominant.

Why doesn't he want to do that for 48 minutes? Why?

 

Coud not have said it better myself. Spot-on.

 

Jordan never would have wanted to be on a team where he wasn't unquestionably the best and most important player on the floor. He wanted the credit for those titles. Pippen was fantastic and especially suited for the role he carved out in that system, but there was absolutely no question who was going to be in control when the game was on the line, and between LeBron and Wade there is a question. This is why I think Kobe still ranks as a better player than LeBron and will end up ranking above him when it's all said and done. Kobe knew he needed someone like Pau Gasol to win a championship, but he sure as hell wasn't going to want to share credit with someone like Kevin Garnett.

 

LeBron James is unquestionably the best and most important player on the Miami Heat. Bosh was Pippen in this series, racking it up while defenses paid attention to the better players, and Wade was hurt and frequently a non-factor.

James has a chance to be as good at basketball as Jordan was, although I don't expect him to. He'd need to take yet another step forward with his shooting to get there.

But he'll never have Jordan's legacy. It wasn't fair that Jordan got an underrated HOFer to play with on his original team and James didn't, but that's life and he could have lived with it. But he made his choice. If he wins at least one ring, I think he'll be personally okay with the diminished legacy he traded for it.

He won't go undefeated in the Finals. He won't win a title with his original team. He won't be the transcendent most important athlete on the planet.

He may end up as good at basketball as Micheal Jordan. But he'll never be comparable.

 

Well said.

 

And the sad part is that LeBron has physical gifts Jordan didn't have. He could be the most dominant player in history fairly easily. But to do so he will have to have a heart transplant, because he does not have enough heart to have the will to be the best ever. Imagine if Jordan was 6-8, 270. They would have had to change the rules to make the game fair. He would have been that dominant.

 

Jordan had the heart and guts that LeBron has always lacked.

 

Pippen is jealous that MJ gets all the credit all the time. Simple as that.