Scottie Pippen May Be Retired, but His LeBron-Michael Quote Isn't Crazy

When great players speak, I tend to listen. Scottie Pippen has more than earned his right to speak about the greatest to ever play the game.

But, when I heard him say this I had to think long and hard before I decided to agree or disagree. If everyone puts aside all the disdain that they have for LeBron, Cleveland fans included, you could see the merit behind his idea.

Michael Jordan could score with his eyes closed, from either side of the rim with his teeth if he wanted to. But, take a look at what LeBron has been able to do statistically comparing to Jordan.

Disregarding the fact that he has never won a ring, offensively James is on the fast track to catching up with MJ as far as career points scored.

Guessing that he will never take seasons off unless he is permanently retiring, James has a great opportunity when his career ends to trump Jordan as far as total points are considered. Not to mention that his assists total 4,966, only 667 assists behind Jordan’s career mark. When Pippen says that he keeps everyone involved, he is not lying.

Then when you are talking defensively, Jordan totaled 2,514 steals, 893 blocks and 6,672 rebounds by his retirement. LeBron James on the other hand has 1,221 steals, 622 blocks and 5,182 rebounds already.

You may want to give Pippen the side eye because Jordan is such an icon and his teammate nonetheless, but you have to respect what he says at least a little bit.

A clutch scorer? Before the postseason, LeBron James was marked in my words as one of the worst clutch performers in the regular season. His potential is beyond this galaxy, but the shots he was taking were ridiculous.

Michael Jordan, on the other hand, was the only man you could say without a shadow of a doubt would get his team over a hump with the ball in his hands in the last moments of a game.

Jordan is the league’s greatest last minute performer while James is just now getting his clutch confidence back from Ohio. Then again, James has the similar ability to get his teammates’ emotion injected back into the game when all seems lost.

A lot of people want to debate whether or not James should be considered great because he went to South Beach to play alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Last time I checked, Michael Jordan played with Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen. Both players are Hall of Famers, no matter how recently added Rodman is. Let’s be honest, Chris Bosh is an excellent player but put him in the top five in offense or defense? I will not.

One of the biggest arguments that anyone can present is that Michael Jordan had to go up against more honorable opponents. Players like Magic and Bird mark an era that may never again be reached in the NBA. They can attempt, but those years were instances of greatness that will never be matched.

The most striking thing to me is that LeBron James is less worried about being crowned the greatest than those who snapping pictures of him.

If he was really that concerned about being labeled greater than Jordan, he would have never left Cleveland, because winning a title there would have put him on the fast track. But he left because he understood it would never happen with Mo Williams and Anderson Varejao.

His focus is more than likely on the championship he has yet to win. How about we wait until he is a few rings in to make this argument again.