Scottie Pippen Clarifies His Stance on the Never-Ending Jordan vs. LeBron Debate

Scottie Pippen says he would still take Michael Jordan over LeBron James, despite what he just said last week.

Ken Blaze
USA Today Sports

Image via USA Today Sports

Ken Blaze

In 2017, you'd be hard-pressed to sit in a barbershop for an hour without hearing the inevitable Michael-Jordan-versus-LeBron-James debate. Who would you take in a Game 7? Who would win in 1-on-1? Who would win in a game of five Jordans versus five LeBrons? These are the questions basketball diehards love to argue over time and time again.

Jordan's former sidekick Scottie Pippen caused a minor stir in the sports world earlier this month when he said that, in terms of numbers, LeBron is "probably ahead of Jordan."

"The numbers don’t lie," Pippen said during an appearance on ESPN's First Take. "He’s right there. 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."

The paparazzi recently caught up with Pippen on two occasions and asked about his comments.

First, Pippen laughed at a reporter who asked if Pippen really thought LeBron was better than Jordan. "C'mon, man," Pippen said, according to TMZ. "LeBron ain't better than me until he gets six titles."

This echoed a sentiment Pippen expressed in 2015 when he said, "I was LeBron James before LeBron James…I'm no slouch, but when comparing LeBron's game, I'm usually left out."

After Pippen's "LeBron ain't better than me" comment, another member of the paparazzi ran into the former Bulls guard and asked what he thinks of former President Barack Obama's belief that Jordan is better than LBJ.

"I'd pick him over LeBron, too," Pippen said, according to TMZ.

The man is clearly tired of these questions, but as long as paparazzi make their income from hounding celebrities, he can probably bank on hearing more silly Jordan/LeBron inquiries while he's out on the town.

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