Scottie Pippen Puzzles and Angers Fans with LeBron Comment

The day after the Miami Heat sent the Chicago Bulls packing for the offseason former Bull and one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players, Scottie Pippen, caused a stir with a comment that hit ESPN and all other sports media outlets in no time. Pippen was a guest on the "Mike and Mike in the Morning" show on ESPN radio and offered his take on LeBron James, a player who he had just watched in the Eastern Conference Finals, and what his legacy might be once his playing days are over.

"Michael Jordan is probably the greatest scorer to play the game, but I may go as far as to say LeBron James may be the greatest player to ever play the game because he is so potent offensively that not only can he score at will but he keeps everybody involved.

You have to be on your P's and Q's on defense. No guy on the basketball court is a threat to score with LeBron James out there. Not only will LeBron dominate from the offensive end as well, but he's also doing it on the defensive end, which really makes him the complete package. He's able to get in those passing lanes, shoot those gaps and create transition opportunities where he is pretty much unstoppable," Pippen said.

This comment has angered many basketball fans and definitely Chicago Bulls fans, but what is Pippen really saying? He calls MJ, his former teammate and who he will forever be linked with, the greatest scorer of all time, but it's no secret that Jordan is widely considered the greatest player to ever step on the hardwood. For a man who is who he is because of Jordan to come out and say this definitely raises some eyebrows. I'm not sure he meant to slam Jordan like it comes across because he later said via Twitter that LeBron isn't on MJ's level yet but he definitely could be by the end of his career. While that may be true I think the general opinion is that that will never be true. Kobe Bryant has also drawn comparisons to Jordan and some fans thought that if he would have led the Lakers to the title this season that he would be on Jordan's level. Maybe, but we wouldn't really know for another ten years or so after it all sunk in.

To have this argument about LeBron vs. Jordan right now is silly. James is in his eighth season and has zero rings. He has several years left before retirement and, when he finally does step away from the game, we can start comparing and debating. Right now it is all a bunch of, "LeBron could be..." and, "LeBron has the talent to be...." What Scottie said is a little overboard but he corrected himself later and that makes the statement more valid. If he says, "LeBron could be as good as Jordan," then I think that is a true statement.

However, I do not think it is right for Scottie Pippen to come out and say this. I don't care if he thinks it or not, it just shouldn't be said from his mouth. It looks terrible and Scottie comes across as still envying Michael a little bit. I can only imagine the smirk on Jordan's face when he heard of Pippen's comments and I wouldn't be surprised if MJ wanted to come back one more time just to school LeBron and show him that he has a long way to go before he reaches His Airness. Pippen's comments would have been okay if they came from Magic Johnson or Larry Bird but when it is Pippen, a guy who has superstar status mainly because he played along side Michael Jordan, that doesn't look good.

Also, I don't think many people are rooting for LeBron to surpass MJ as the so-called Greatest Player Ever. Too many people love Michael Jordan and don't want to see LeBron catch him in MVP's or titles. For now, they don't have to worry but if James ever does win six titles it will be interesting to see how fans react. He may have dug himself into a hole he will never get out of by signing with the Heat. Once he joined forces with Bosh and Wade many people, including Jordan, looked down on him as a star who was giving in. What's funny is that if James had stayed in Cleveland and won a title it would have been so similar to MJ's first title in Chicago it would have been scary. Both players joined bad teams and lost in the playoffs a few times. Jordan eventually won the title but LeBron gave up. That right there could forever keep James from reaching the top of the mountain.

LeBron should feel respected that Scottie Pippen said those words but for now he can't worry about those comparisons. Michael Jordan, in my mind and many others, will always be the greatest player who ever played and Pippen should think long and hard next time before he says something like he did today.