"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. No guy on the basketball court is not 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."
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| Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images |
Now, hold on a second, there's more. That was followed by words from another of Jordan's former teammates, Horace Grant, who said the following while a guest on ESPN 1000 in Chicago the next day:
"Pip is my man, and we will always be close but I totally disagree.......LeBron is going to be one of the top players to ever play the game. But Michael Jeffrey Jordan, who we bumped heads with at times, is I think in my era, the best who ever played the game."
Since his inital comments, Scottie has somewhat backtracked on his statements by basically saying the Lebron isn't at Michael's level, but that he someday could be if he keeps on his current pace, more or less. Now, since both of these guys have a pretty substantial ring collection entirely due to MJ and their time on HIS team, they both have alot more credibility than most when it comes to this subject. Also, it's hard to argue against Scottie's praise for Lebron. The man knows what greatness is and looks like, having played next to Jordan for so long and having the Hall of Fame credentials to back him up in his analysis. But I think Pippen's comments were just a little misplaced. Michael was, is and will always be the game's greatest player. Hands down, no question, no arguement, that won't change. We could spend hours talking about his stat line; he's a 14x NBA All star, 6x Finals MVP, 5x NBA MVP, Highest Scorer in NBA History, and that's not even half of it. His accomplishment speak for themselves. But this is where Pippen was just a little off; Lebron James is, as it stands right now, the best pure athlete to ever play the game. Notice that I said best athlete, not best player. Jordan combined his rare athleticism, skill, hard work and talent to become the greatest player the world had ever seen. And his drive to be the best is what solidified that position. But Lebron is an athlete that the game has never seen before.
MJ ran about 6'6" and was pretty slight at 215lbs. He moved gracefully and could also show bursts of explosiveness and power when he needed to, but his game was very fluid. James runs about 6'9" and is a solid 250 lbs. His vertical abilities are without question, and just as explosive as Michael's. His body type and frame allow him to do things that Michael probably couldn't have done. James can defend anybody on the court because of his size. If you had matched up Karl Malone on the blocks against MJ, it would have been a tough night for Jordan defensively. Not so for James. The added dimension he brings on the defensive end makes him a matchup nightmare on the other end of the floor as well, because a typical PF doesn't have the speed or the quickness to stop James on the perimeter or in the open court. Most SFs are too small for him, so they struggle against him as well. Lebron has become a master and exploiting his physical stature and abilities to his advantage on the court, and it's something that the game has never seen before. That's what Pippen should have said. Michael Jordan is the Everest, he's the top, you don't get any better than that. It's actually not possible. Lebron is just a freak of nature, he truly is. He's the greatest athlete the league has ever seen. But best athlete doesn't equal best player, only Michael Jordan does.
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