Scottie Pippen once explained how his game resembled LeBron James.
Forward Scottie Pippen is one of the greatest NBA legends, winning six rings with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s. It is fair to say that Pippen was one of the best two-way players in his era, often taking on difficult assignments while also being a point forward offensively.
There is no doubt that Scottie Pippen knows just how good he was. In fact, once, Pippen claimed that he was “LeBron James before LeBron James”, noting that the two had similar games.
“I was LeBron James before LeBron James,” Pippen said, per Kurt Helin of NBC Sports. “It’s not even close… They want to compare him to the greatest, whether it be Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson, but he’s more closer to myself. It’s natural for folks to say that, but if you look at how he plays the game and how I played the game, you’ll see more similarities with us.”
It is easy to see why Scottie Pippen believes he is similar to LeBron James. Both players were athletic forwards who thrived when slashing to the rim, while also possessing elite passing ability. In his prime, James was also an elite defender just like Pippen. Though Pippen obviously never reached LeBron James’ level, there are definitely similarities in playstyle between the two.
The 1993-94 Chicago Bulls season is widely regarded as Scottie Pippen’s best on an individual level. The forward put up 22.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game, while also averaging 2.9 steals for the season defensively. It would have been interesting to see how good Pippen would have been if he were to develop as the No. 1 option on his own team, but as of right now, it’s fair to say that he is one of the best No. 2 options of all time.
LeBron James Sees Himself In Scottie Pippen
There is no doubt that LeBron James sees the similarities between himself and Scottie Pippen as well. once, James even claimed that he wanted to play with Pippen over legends like Michael Jordan over Kobe Bryant, noting that he sees himself in Pippen.
“It’s crazy, I love Scottie Pippen bro. Obviously, MJ was crazy, Kobe would have been another one,” LeBron said. “But Scottie Pippen and Penny Hardaway were my two because I see myself in them. Like, I saw myself in Pippen and Penny.”
It is true that the similarities between the two were glaring. If Scottie Pippen were playing in the modern era, he would likely be the No. 1 option for a number of teams due to his point-forward playstyle. Though it is unlikely that he would be able to reach the heights LeBron James did, Pippen would have certainly been an All-NBA-level player.
Scottie Pippen Favors LeBron James Over Michael Jordan In The GOAT Debate
When it comes to the GOAT debate, Scottie Pippen’s choice is very clear. Pippen once called his former teammate Michael Jordan “a horrible player”, while noting that LeBron James will always be the greatest “statistical guy”. It makes sense that Pippen favors James in the debate, as James plays very similarly to him and provides a lot of impact for his teams.
Ultimately, LeBron James won’t be the GOAT in the eyes of a lot of basketball fans who grew up watching 1990s basketball. However, a lot of younger fans believe that he is the GOAT, and he
