NBA icon Scottie Pippen wrote in his book that he believes Michael Jordan “ruined basketball.”
Pippen also wrote that LeBron James is the greatest player of all time.
“I may go as far to say Mike ruined basketball,” Pippen wrote. “In the ’80s, on the playgrounds, you’d have everyone moving the ball around — passing to help the team. That stopped in the ’90s. Kids wanted to be ‘Like Mike.’ Well, Mike didn’t want to pass — didn’t want to rebound, or defend the best player. He wanted everything done for him.
“That’s why I always believed LeBron James was the greatest player this game has ever seen — he does everything and embodies what the game is truly about.”
Pippen said LeBron didn’t have the clutch gene like Jordan and Kobe Bryant just a few years ago. Pippen also stated he would never pick LeBron over Jordan in an important game.
“The Last Dance” docuseries rubbed Pippen the wrong way and he’s doing everything in his power to get back at Jordan.
The Chicago Bulls won six NBA championships during the ’90s. They three-peated twice and never lost in the Finals.
Jordan won 10 scoring titles, five regular-season MVPs, one Defensive Player of the Year Award and six Finals MVPs with Chicago.
Pippen’s contributions were significant as well and he believes he didn’t get enough credit for the Bulls’ success.
During the Bulls’ championship run, Pippen ranked second on the team in scoring, second in rebounds, second in minutes, first in assists and first in steals. From 1990-91 to 1997-98, Pippen averaged 20.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.2 steals while shooting 48.4%.
Pippen was upset Jordan called him “selfish” in “The Last Dance” for delaying his foot surgery on purpose and requesting a trade in 1997-98. Pippen was also angry the docuseries covered the Bulls’ 1994 playoff series against the New York Knicks when he refused to go into Game 3.
What’s even more astonishing is that Pippen even got annoyed when Jordan called him his best teammate of all time: “Even in the second episode, which focused for a while on my difficult upbringing and unlikely path to the NBA, the narrative returned to MJ and his determination to win. I was nothing more than a prop. His best teammate of all time, he called me. He couldn’t have been more condescending if he tried.”
There are some hard feelings between Pippen and Jordan, mostly coming from the former. As far as who the GOAT is between Jordan and LeBron, that debate may never come to an end.
Jordan is the reason LeBron wears No. 23. MJ was LBJ’s idol growing up. The two will forever be linked.
However, the GOAT debate is pretty impossible to settle. Both superstars are once-in-a-generation players who have done things with a basketball that humans shouldn’t be able to do.
At this point, everyone is entitled to their own opinion on who their GOAT is and it sounds like Pippen is going with LeBron because of his all-around play.
Jordan has career averages of 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists. He won five regular-season MVPs, six championships, six Finals MVPs and 10 scoring titles.
Meanwhile, LeBron has career averages of 27.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists. He’s a four-time regular-season MVP, four-time champion and four-time Finals MVP.
LeBron is the leading scorer in NBA history.
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