Scottie Pippen: I was LeBron James before LeBron James

[HuskerCradle2Grave]

I'm not sure I buy Pippen as a top 30 of all time type player. He is probably somewhere in the top 50-75 range

When DWade and Lebron teamed up and both were healthy, both were top 5 guys in the league at the time. Their styles didn't match and they didn't always have the best help but when they were healthy and they needed to turn it on, they basically won just simply by being excellent talents and trying to have Bosh stave off taller competition.

Michael Jordan was a better player than DWade. Phil Jackson was a better coach than Spoelstra. If Pippen was anywhere close to Lebron then the Bulls should've been dismantling and emasculating teams every night. They would've been the NBA equivalent of UConn women's basketball.

Um, they did...

 

[Clayton]

Um, they did...

Not to the degree needed for Pippen to be equal to Lebron. Pippen's winshares during his prime were 11-13. Lebrons winshares during his prime were 14-20. So Lebron would have probably put 3-7 more games in the win column every regular season.

 

[Lakers+USC=#1]

Pippen was a great all-round player. He couldn't guard Kobe when it counted though....

That play will always give me chills.

 

[HuskerCradle2Grave]

Not to the degree needed for Pippen to be equal to Lebron. Pippen's winshares during his prime were 11-13. Lebrons winshares during his prime were 14-20. So Lebron would have probably put 3-7 more games in the win column every regular season.

There is only one ball. And when you play with the GOAT...

 

[Clayton]

There is only one ball. And when you play with the GOAT...

Lebron's advanced stats get better when you add talent around him. His actual stats mostly leveled off regardless of the team.

Are you suggesting that Pippen got worse because he was playing with MJ?

 

[Shanemansj13]

There is only one ball. And when you play with the GOAT...

but but but he was Lebron before Lebron. That's why the statement makes no sense.

 

[tducey]

I like Pippen but yeah he's not close to being like Lebron at all.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

The man is mentally ill and suffers from delusions of grandeur. He is the counterpart of Cal Ripken in baseball and Brett Favre in football. He is the most overrated basketball player in history not named Bill Russell.

"He's actually better than LeBron right now!" - @SJ76

However, he does have 6 rings. Something LeBron wishes he had.

 

[OregonDucks]

However, he does have 6 rings. Something LeBron wishes he had.

Hey man, if LeBron had an all-star and GOAT on his team like Jordan, he'd have as many rings as Pippen too.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

Hey man, if LeBron had an all-star and GOAT on his team like Jordan, he'd have as many rings as Pippen too.

Sorry, but I'm sick & tired of the LeBron this & that from ESPN & others. It's getting old very fast. The bottom line is this, he had to go to somebody else's team to win 2 titles. Then he went back to Cleveland & they couldn't get it done. Will he win at least one title in Cleveland? Probably, but part of that is due to how bad the Eastern Conference is. He's a great player, but his record in the finals speaks for itself.

 

[OregonDucks]

Sorry, but I'm sick & tired of the LeBron this & that from ESPN & others. It's getting old very fast. The bottom line is this, he had to go to somebody else's team to win 2 titles. Then he went back to Cleveland & they couldn't get it done. Will he win at least one title in Cleveland? Probably, but part of that is due to how bad the Eastern Conference is. He's a great player, but his record in the finals speaks for itself.

not only did he have to come back to Cleveland, he had to come back to Kyrie's team and also brought kevin Love with him, another all-star...

He didn't win it this year due to injuries, yes, but that shows LeBron didn't and cant win it by himself and he needs those all-stars around him.

Cleveland will win one here shortly for the reasons you mentioned. Unfortunately it will be called "LeBron's championship" but really its Cleveland's title.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

The further he gets from his playing days, the greater he becomes in his own mind. He's the only man alive who hates Charles Barkley. Dude doesn't have a friend in the game.

Hey - Hating Charles Barkley is a good thing - I mean Charles is a dick you know. On the other side though as much as I liked Pippen's game in Chicago and Portland, He was never close to Lebron's game