Pippen reportedly says 'I was LeBron James before LeBron James'
Scottie Pippen is almost always relegated to sidekick status to Michael Jordan's leading-man role when the duo starred in the Bulls' six championships in the '90s. But Pippen was one of the greatest two-way players and was voted one of the 50 greatest players of all time.
So when Pippen watches LeBron James play, he doesn't see Jordan or Magic Johnson. He sees himself.
"I was LeBron James before LeBron James," Pippen told Northeast Ohio Media Group. "It's not even close. I'm no slouch, but when comparing LeBron's game, I'm usually left out."
Pippen was voted to the NBA's All-Defensive first team eight times and was a seven-time All-Star during his 17-year career. He finished his career averaging 16.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists and two steals, proving his all-around status.
James, on the other hand, has averaged 27.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.7 steals. But despite the numbers, Pippen believes he's the closest comparison to James.
"They want to compare him to the greatest whether it be Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson, but he's more closer to myself," Pippen said. "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."
