Somehow, Scottie Pippen has become the go-to commentator for LeBron opinions. So, of course, during his appearance on ESPN's "First Take," the hosts asked the best sidekick in NBA history what he thinks of LeBron James. To which Pippen offered a response that was surprising but at the same time expected.
"When I look at LeBron James, he's not what Michael [Jordan] was as a player. He's not even what Kobe Bryant was as a player," Pippen told the cast on Thursday, Feb. 14. "When you talk about trying to compare Michael's instinct, his ability to take over games, his ability to want to have that last shot... LeBron doesn't have that gene."
Although this is the response you're supposed to give when talking about the man who gave you six championship rings, it should be noted that this is a stark contradiction to what Pippen said about LeBron on the same show in Dec. 2017.
"In terms of statistics, LeBron is right there," Pippen said. "When you look across the board—not just scoring—check his assists, check his rebounds, he's probably ahead of Jordan."
Pippen's back-and-forth on LeBron has been a storyline ever since James was categorized as a point-forward (a position Scottie revolutionized). But his indecisiveness on whether James is a G.O.A.T. or just great should be taken with a grain of salt. Which is what many old NBA stars are using when commenting on this generation's talent.
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