Scottie Pippen once provided his deduction as to why he would never compare LeBron James to Michael Jordan, with Pippen rationalizing his basis on ‘Superior Scoring.’
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Pippen was a formidable player during his NBA career. The 6ft 8″ forward was a pivotal part of the Chicago Bulls’ success throughout the 1990s, encapsulating six NBA championships.
The 57-year-old played second fiddle to five-time NBA MVP, and consensus greatest, Michael Jordan. Although, what was considered second fiddle at the time, was just Pippen burdening the majority of the responsibilities apart from scoring, in hindsight.
However, Pippen has not once berated Jordan for enduring the responsibility of leading the line for the Bulls. As a matter of fact, he has been in awe of ‘His Airness’ scoring prowess. He went as far as to cite that as the primary reason he would not draw parallels to LeBron James.
Scottie Pippen once branded Michael Jordan as the ‘Superior Scorer’ when discussing LeBron James!
LeBron James and Michael Jordan have been the topic of the GOAT debate since the beginning of the 2010s. The two men have had their names compared to each other more times than they can count.
While there have been numerous arguments that facilitate either side’s arguments, it was believed to be conspicuous that the one facet of play they would not be able to compete on would be the criteria of scoring.
Pippen, who had first-row seats to Jordan’s eminence, once lauded MJ for his ability to relieve the pressure of his teammates in defining moments of the came. The seven-time NBA All-Star was particularly impressed with Jordan’s ability to take responsibility in significant moments.
Pippen said:
“When you play with a guy like Mike, who’s a superior scorer and I played most of my career with him and when you hear a guy come out the huddle and you see that he wants the ball and he working for it night in and night out, you can’t compare him to LeBron, because he’s not that guy. LeBron is not gonna be the guy that says ‘I want this life shot’…I hear that from Michael, I’ve heard that from him.
Pippen continued:
“Like no matter what the situation is get me the ball, and basically that tells me, get him the ball or I’m calling time out.”
Well, that argument may have been true before, but if the past twenty years have shown us anything, it’s that James can more than hold his own in such situations. In fact, his current record of being the NBA’s All-Time leading scorer is a testament to his ability to be a superior scorer.
LeBron James’ lack of scoring recognition!
Despite tallying the most number of points in the game’s history, James is not credited for his ability to score. In fact, his shot-making ability from all three levels is often undermined.
After all, it’s not quite often that we see basketball players stockpile 38000+ points over the course of their careers. James has been a consistent threat from the field, draining the ball with a plethora of shots.
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Regardless of what the media and former players say, James’ name will be eternally etched into the sport’s history. The four-time NBA champion now holds the official record of the NBA’s All-Time leading scorer.
