Scottie Pippen Says LeBron James Hasn't Passed Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan
Scottie Pippen isn't ready to compare LeBron James to Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant, and it's not just because he has fewer rings.
Rather, Pippen told ESPN's Cari Champion on a Wednesday edition of SportsCenter (h/t Chris Walder of theScore) he thinks James shouldn't be compared to Jordan or Bryant because they play different positions.
"I don't think he's [LeBron] surpassed Kobe [Bryant] at all, no," Pippen said. "And I don't think he [LeBron] should be compared to either of those players [Jordan or Bryant] because they play different positions.
"Kobe and Michael [Jordan] are both 2-guards. They're both scorers. They're mostly like a Kyrie [Irving]. They're looking to score the basketball when it hits their hand. They're not looking to make plays for anyone on the floor. They're not looking to be a facilitator. That's the role that LeBron plays because he's such a dominant and powerful force, and he's a great passer."
To Pippen's point, LeBron is a far more accomplished playmaker than either Jordan or Bryant was. Specifically, he's averaged seven assists per game over the course of 14 NBA seasons. By comparison, Jordan and Bryant averaged 5.3 and 4.7 per contest, respectively.
"I think he plays a lot more like Magic. A lot more like myself, how I played," Pippen said. "Obviously he's more dominant than both me and Magic because of the way that he plays the game—his physicality, his athleticism surpass Magic, as well as me."
It is worth noting, however, that James owns a higher career scoring average (27.1 points per game) than Bryant (25.0 points per game). Jordan, meanwhile, tops the NBA's all-time list with a career scoring average of 30.1 points per game.
Ultimately, comparing James to greats may be something of a futile pursuit. Arguably the most unique talent the NBA has ever seen, James is the only player since 1946 who has sustained averages of at least 27 points, seven assists and seven rebounds over the course of his career.
