Sunday, May 29th, 2011 at 11:06 am  |  70 responses

LeBron James ‘Gracious, Humbled’ by Pippen’s Comments

LeBron acknowledged Scottie Pippen’s controversial comments, but refused to stand entirely behind them. Via Yahoo! Sports: “Scottie Pippen thinks LeBron James might become a greater player than Michael Jordan. James isn’t so sure – but he’s also not ruling out the possibility. ‘Mike’s an unbelievable player,’ James said Saturday. ‘I got a long way, long way to be mentioned as one of the all-time greats. Not even just Jordan – there are a lot of great players who have played in this league: Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and all these guys that are floating around with multiple rings. Bill Russell. All of these guys who have pioneered the game for myself and [Dwyane Wade]. I’m gracious, humbled by Scottie’s comments with him being a teammate of his and seeing Michael on a day-to-day basis. But as far as me? I don’t know. I’m not going to sit here and say I’m better than Jordan or if I’m not better than Jordan. It’s not about that.’ Pippen made his comments on a radio station Friday morning. ‘Michael Jordan is probably the greatest scorer to ever play the game,’ Pippen said. ‘I may go so far as saying LeBron James may be the greatest player to ever play the game.’”

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  • http://www.facebook.com/joe.l.brewer3 BlackPhantom

    I’m not dissing his post skills, but with no 3 in the key rule, all they did was pass to Wilt and he’d lay it in or dunk it home. All game.

  • Warlordnipple

    Are you guys kidding saying Kobe is better than Jordan? Kobe scores a lot in a league that has incredibly weak defense and was in a stage of smaller players. The league is getting bigger and better at D and Kobe has no chance to win a ring ever again. Honestly look at Jordan in the the late 80′s early 90′s when he was playing important games vs some of the best teams ever to play the game, he would put up 50-60 points. When is the last time Kobe was on an awful like truly awful (Kobe has never played on a team as bad as the 80′s Bulls) and put up 63 points vs the team that won the championship. Kobe is really good at shooting so is Carmelo they thrive in an NBA full of unskilled defenders. That age is past and is not coming back in their life time. LeBron is one of the greatest of all time he will define the league for his entire career. The only other players that did this were Jordan, Bird, Johnson, Abdul Jabar, and Chamberlain.

  • http://www.facebook.com/joe.l.brewer3 BlackPhantom

    Kobe has been on a truly awful team before IMO. Kwame Brown was a starter. Smush Parker was a starter as well, and before him Chucky Atkins started. Kobe’s 05-06 was just about as woeful as one of MJ’s teams before Phil.

  • brando

    Yea, and what did Kobe accomplish those years? Nothing is the answer to that.

  • http://www.facebook.com/joe.l.brewer3 BlackPhantom

    What did MJ accomplish during his years before help? …..ok then.

  • Easy Rawlins

    Ok, let me start by saying that was born in raised in Chicago and watched the Jordan years closely. Michael Jordan raised the level of athleticism in the sport that change the way we see the game to date. LeBron, Kobe, Wade are mere imitators of a man who was first to take the came to another level. He will continue to be considered the best ever until someone changes the game again. The aforemetioned players can win 7 championships, but they still won’t compare because they’re showing us nothing new.

    Example: Who was the second woman to fly around the world?
    Answer: I don’t know…

    Who was the first?
    Answer: Amelia Earhart

    We know that answer because she was a game changer. We’ll always remember the one’s who did it first, the game changers…LeBron, Kobe, Wade are not game changers, I’ve seen it all before and better with MJ.

    peace…

    BTW: Scottie Pippen is in financial despair and projecting his anger at MJ…

  • mcintma

    Oh for the love of … Wilt was great, but let’s be honest: he had a Shaq body in an era where the avg center was a 6’7″ white guy. It was like playing with children. You really think he scores 100 points on modern NBA centers like Robinson, Shaq, Hakeem, …? Put MJ in a league where 6′ white guys are guarding him and he’d put 100 down as regularly as he needed.

  • Moni the Lady

    Greatest? Scoring 8 points in an NBA game is far less than GREATNESS… Lebron is Dwyane Wade’s Scottie Pippen. Lebron isn’t even touching Kobe. It’s about more than fast breaks & alley oops, it’s about RINGS. ‘Nuff said.

  • Ballislife

    Lets not forget that lebron is only 26 and has a good 10 years to improve before his stats start to go south

  • http://www.facebook.com/charles.colemon Charles Colemon

    Do you really think he’ll be putting up these kind of numbers at 36? I’m a Laker fan but I do think that he has to opportunity to be the best ever, size, strength, quickness, speed, defense and his ability to get to the rim, make plays for others and take over games create a mix that no other player in the history of the game has had.. once he gets the killer instinct of a Michael, Kobe or Larry, it’s his for the taking.

  • Wisdom

    Scottie Pippen has basketball ique, and I agree with him 100%. After looking at the way LeBron James handled last year’s NBA season and the pressure of the playoff, I would say LeBron James did something no “resent” NBA player did. Am a true fan of: MJ, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, the Dream Hakeem, the Kobe “Black Mamba” (the greatest offensive “Demon” unstoppable), but King James have a completeness none of the above have.

  • Trout

    Before MJ there was Dr J who was the catalyst behind merging two leagues so MJ may have changed things in the 80′s and 90′s but he is not the first. there are other examples Shaq for instance name another player who was intentionally targeted to be fouled late in games to hinder his scoring before him?, to a degree so has Nowitzki who for a 7′ shoots more 3′s and less in the post than almost anyone else his size to say that LeBron is not a game changer when he was on an awful Cleveland team and still made it to the finals is real short sighted. LeBron is just getting started and he has at least 5 or 6 peak years in his career to go.

  • enyaw

    ok ok so what if I tell you lebron scores like jordan makes plays like magic he is a great defender. He is big he is fast. Is there someone else in the league who is like lebron james? duh. no one dude thats why pippen said that he is better than mj.

  • enyaw

    lebron just have a high basketball i.q.

  • jose

    weak defense are you in drugs kobe bryant has the most double team that any player have faced in the nba i seen a lot of MJ games and the defense are so stupid like putting jonh stockton to guard MJ t that’s like nate robison guarding lebron james. the 90′s was when MJ start wining championships why becuase teams like lakers with kareem magic johnson, boston who sweep twice chicago and won the championships deroit pistons who win 2 times and won the championships and some team that could beat MJ so easly in the mid 70′s to 80′s those teams were no longer. the best era mid 70′s to 80′s,.. 90′s the best teams that ever play in the 90′s man your dreaming, if jordan was more younger and play to 70 to 80 hell no he wouldn’t win 6 championships when boston swep them like nothing and that team was a little old by then. come on dude chicago bulls in the 70 to 80 are one of the worst teams comparing to others you think that MJ with one of the worst teams in the 70 to 80 could win a champinship yeah right the only thing that he could win are scoring titles mvp like 2 maybe 2 championships but thats all, 6 i dont think so dude.

    a team is not about one player it’s about all players without a solid team without chemestry you can’t call it a team lebron james cleveland cavaliers lebron could win at least 2 championships because he had the chemestry and players to win it all but he fail becuase he is a choker in the 4qtr lerbon under pressure is no body now he is starting to be some one after what 9 years

    kobe bryant whose gaming was restricted for the first 2 years 2 years sitting in the bench becuase the lakers already had a team and in that team was shaquille o’neil kobe bryant was traded to the lakers for vlade divac becuse they need a upgrade on the bench they didn’t need him for a starting lineup. kobe bryant demonstrated that he had the skills to be in a starting lineup that’s why in 1998 after the lockdown he got that spot after kobe landed on the worng time worng place when kobe came in to the league he suppose to play as a starting lineup. when kobe came out of the bench and build the chemestry he win the championship some thing that he wans’t going to do if he still on the bench kobe bryant build the chemestry more faster than MJ and Lebron MJ and Lebron had the chance to play in their fist season as starters that why the develop their games more quikly than kobe

  • Nate Ville

    All media hype, let’s wait and see if LBJ can prove more than MJ. Let’s not forget Kobe is not done yet. Future is all at stake for LBJ, great comment from him though. Point is 1 ring, an olympic gold, season and finals MVP is phenomenal but it doesn’t stop there. Kobe comes close to that and he’s still there but not at the peak anymore, in few years time we will cherish the greatest basketball memories from him just like MJ. Good luck any way to LBJ, and to the passed Basketball legends ” you are all have the right to your opinion!!!

  • tee

    Michael is Michael and lebron is lebron and so the story’s told

  • Brandon

    It’s guys like you that dont understand…the 7’1′s biggest rival at that time was 6’9 Bill Russel. You put him in the modern league…

  • Dwane

    I think we can all agree. LeBron will be one of the must successful players to ever reach the NBA, along with Kobe, MJ, Larry, Magic, Kareem, Russell, Shaq and Wilt. Maybe not in terms of winning Championships, but maybe in terms of how he’s an idol to hundreds of thousands of kids.

  • jonathanhakim

    Except that Lebron went to the Finals with a horrid team, MJ went to the 2nd round with a horrid team, and Kobe missed the playoffs with a horrid team.

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