Scottie Pippen: Barack Obama Was Right to Pick Michael Jordan over LeBron James

Scottie Pippen weighed in on the Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James debate once again, saying "I'm picking [Jordan] over LeBron too," per TMZ Sports, when learning that former President Barack Obama chose Jordan over James during a rapid-fire portion of his interview with Great Britain's Prince Harry.

"Jordan," Obama said when asked to pick between the two NBA greats Wednesday during the interview on BBC Radio 4 (h/t Madeline Kenney of the Chicago Sun-Times). "Although I love LeBron. I'm a Chicago guy."

Pippen has wavered on where he stands on the Jordan vs. James debate. He told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith on First Take earlier in December, for instance, that James was "probably ahead" of Jordan.

"The numbers don't lie. He's right there," Pippen said (h/t Marcel Mutoni of SlamOnline.com). "He probably will never catch him in terms of MVP, but in terms of statistics, LeBron is right there. And when you look across the board—not just scoring—check his assists, check his rebounds... he's probably ahead of Jordan."

And a week ago, Pippen told TMZ Sports that James "ain't better than me until he gets six titles." 

The truth is, comparing Jordan and James as players is apples and oranges. Whereas Jordan was a pure scorer and lock-down defender, James has traditionally been a more well-rounded facilitator and all-around player, albeit less dominant as a scoring machine. 

Comparing their legacies and respective reigns as the best player in the NBA gets more interesting.

Jordan was a six-time champion, five-time MVP, 14-time All-Star, nine-time first-team All-Defensive selection and a 10-time scoring champion. He averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game.

James, meanwhile, is a three-time champion, four-time MVP, 13-time All-Star, five-time first-team All-Defensive selection and one-time scoring champion. He's averaged 27.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 1.6 steals in his career. 

Take your pick. There's an argument to be made that you can't go wrong either way. Just ask Pippen.