Scottie Pippen has lost his mind (Lebron > MJ?)

[Mr October]

Clutch play over time is a huge factor. James isn't anywhere near close enough enough. He isn't even close to Kobe yet.

Lebron's combo of size and speed make him a better defender.

Jordan's post skills, perimeter shot, higher IQ, and clutch play make him a superior scorer.

The passing skills are about the same. Jordan just passed less because he could score on anyone anytime he wanted.

I'll take great offense over great defense. Jordan for the win.

[Fafnir]

Clutch play over time is a huge factor. James isn't anywhere near close enough enough. He isn't even close to Kobe yet.

Lebron's combo of size and speed make him a better defender.

Jordan's post skills, perimeter shot, higher IQ, and clutch play make him a superior scorer.

The passing skills are about the same. Jordan just passed less because he could score on anyone anytime he wanted.

I'll take great offense over great defense. Jordan for the win.

LeBron has been more clutch than Kobe has been in the past 7 years.

Detriot in the ECF? Boston in the EC Semis? Magic series that they lost in the end (where he was AMAZING hitting crazy shots all over the place), and this year? I mean only last year and his first trip to the Finals did he truly come up short.

[ScoobyDoo]

For me, LeBron doesn't hold a candle to Bird, Magic and Jordan.

Bird: 3 rings and chasing many other titles...
Magic: 5 rings and chasing many other titles...
Jordan: 6 rings and chasing a few more titles...

Greatest "athlete" to ever play? Very possibly, because he' the size of Magic Johnson with the athleticism of Jordan. That is a fair argument.

Greatest "player" to ever play? Not a chance

I'll just put it this way, if I want to win games and I'm going into a WCF, ECF or a championship series and my choices are Bird, Magic, Jordan and LeBron, all in their primes...?

LeBron is my last pick of that crop every single time and twice on Sundays.

Between Bird, Magic and Jordan, it's a toss up for me, they were all "that good" and could hurt you in so many ways.

 

[Mr October]

Clutch play over time is a huge factor. James isn't anywhere near close enough enough. He isn't even close to Kobe yet.

Lebron's combo of size and speed make him a better defender.

Jordan's post skills, perimeter shot, higher IQ, and clutch play make him a superior scorer.

The passing skills are about the same. Jordan just passed less because he could score on anyone anytime he wanted.

I'll take great offense over great defense. Jordan for the win.

LeBron has been more clutch than Kobe has been in the past 7 years.

Detriot in the ECF? Boston in the EC Semis? Magic series that they lost in the end (where he was AMAZING hitting crazy shots all over the place), and this year? I mean only last year and his first trip to the Finals did he truly come up short.

How about this then:

Lebron is very hot or very cold in clutch moments. its really been a 50-50 on what you are gonna get (prior to this playoff run). He's either been hitting crazy shots or bricking like crazy.

[RyNye]

On one hand, championships are not everything. Hell, nobody is ever going to say Bill Russell was the greatest player who ever lived despite the absurd championship run back them. Not that he wasn't an amazing player, but times were different. Even between Jordan's prime and now, the NBA is different.

On the other hand, Jordan did what Lebron tried, and failed, to do. He took a mediocre at best team and turned it into one of the most dominant basketball teams in the history of the sport. Yes, it didn't happen immediately, it took time and building a supporting cast that included Scottie Pippen. Nevertheless, the turnaround is largely due to Jordan. And in the later years of his career Jordan became increasingly aware of the importance of team effort and became a batter passer and leader. Lebron was unable to do at Cleveland what Jordan did in Chicago, and it remains to be seen whether he can even come close to doing what Jordan did with a team as stacked with stars as Miami.

It's too early to reliably gauge Lebron's career overall. Nevertheless, you can't compare him to Jordan. Jordan single-handedly dominated the sport in an era that was stacked with legendary players (think of all the incredibly Hall of Famers/future Hall of Famers that never got a championship for no reason other than Jordan existing ... Ewing, et al.). Lebron is great, yes, but he doesn't dominate the league, and he hasn't changed the sport. Michael Jordan single-handedly changed the entire face of the league. Until Lebron does that, you cannot even begin to compare him to a player of Jordan's level. You can say he is more athletic, sure, and stronger, both of those hold water. But trying to compare them as overall players is pointless.

[soap07]

On the other hand, Jordan did what Lebron tried, and failed, to do. He took a mediocre at best team and turned it into one of the most dominant basketball teams in the history of the sport. Yes, it didn't happen immediately, it took time and building a supporting cast that included Scottie Pippen. Nevertheless, the turnaround is largely due to Jordan. And in the later years of his career Jordan became increasingly aware of the importance of team effort and became a batter passer and leader. Lebron was unable to do at Cleveland what Jordan did in Chicago, and it remains to be seen whether he can even come close to doing what Jordan did with a team as stacked with stars as Miami.

LeBron never had a player nearly as good as Pippen during his run in Cleveland...or a coach like Phil Jackson. At the same age, already has way more playoff success than Jordan did at the same age.

Lebron is great, yes, but he doesn't dominate the league, and he hasn't changed the sport.

Really? LeBron hasn't dominated the last couple years? He's been the best player by a fair margin.

And part of the reason that Jordan was able to dominate as he did was because the competition was so much weaker than in the 80s.

[BballTim]

On one hand, championships are not everything. Hell, nobody is ever going to say Bill Russell was the greatest player who ever lived despite the absurd championship run back them. Not that he wasn't an amazing player, but times were different. Even between Jordan's prime and now, the NBA is different.

  Without discussing whether Russell was the best player or not, "nobody is ever going to say Bill Russell was the greatest player who ever lived" is an amazing statement. Who could follow the sport at all without having heard his name come up in best player ever conversations? It's somewhat like saying that nobody would ever claim that Babe Ruth was the greatest baseball player ever.

[Fafnir]

Clutch play over time is a huge factor. James isn't anywhere near close enough enough. He isn't even close to Kobe yet.

Lebron's combo of size and speed make him a better defender.

Jordan's post skills, perimeter shot, higher IQ, and clutch play make him a superior scorer.

The passing skills are about the same. Jordan just passed less because he could score on anyone anytime he wanted.

I'll take great offense over great defense. Jordan for the win.

LeBron has been more clutch than Kobe has been in the past 7 years.

Detriot in the ECF? Boston in the EC Semis? Magic series that they lost in the end (where he was AMAZING hitting crazy shots all over the place), and this year? I mean only last year and his first trip to the Finals did he truly come up short.

How about this then:

Lebron is very hot or very cold in clutch moments. its really been a 50-50 on what you are gonna get (prior to this playoff run). He's either been hitting crazy shots or bricking like crazy.

Where has he been 50/50? Go look at the clutch stats, overall stats, and everything else. He's been the best player in every series he's played in except his first Finals run (where he put up an awful showing in the sweep)

[BballTim]

Lebron needs to prove his clutch scoring about 5 more times after he finishes this postseason....then you can start to compare his postseason clutchness to that of Jordan's.

But I tend to agree with Pippen's overall estimation.

I think if you are looking at scoring, passing and defense...Lebron is better than Jordan overall.

Lebron has the physical gifts from god that he can be the best defender this league has ever seen.

Probably the best 2 way player this league has ever seen.

KG is also a physical marvel too. But he was never strong enough to guard the great PFs and he was too tall to be a true lockdown perimeter defender.

  LeBron's a better passer, on defense they're fairly equal, and LeBron's not the scorer Jordan was at all.

LeBron's a better rebounder, and actually a better defender than Michael. His size allows him to be more disruptive defensively and guard more positions.

He's definitely not the same sort of scorer that Michael was.

  A better rebounder? Yes. A more versatile defender? Possibly. A better defender? Not sold on that one from what I've seen.

[angryguy77]

He's disqualified as long as he's in Miami with the current roster. The greatest of all time should be able to elevate his team to greatness. They don't have to join forces with another player who is separated by a hair in the skill dept just to have shot a multiple titles.
He is good at what he does, I won't deny that. Pippen is obviously jealous.

[Fafnir]

Lebron needs to prove his clutch scoring about 5 more times after he finishes this postseason....then you can start to compare his postseason clutchness to that of Jordan's.

But I tend to agree with Pippen's overall estimation.

I think if you are looking at scoring, passing and defense...Lebron is better than Jordan overall.

Lebron has the physical gifts from god that he can be the best defender this league has ever seen.

Probably the best 2 way player this league has ever seen.

KG is also a physical marvel too. But he was never strong enough to guard the great PFs and he was too tall to be a true lockdown perimeter defender.

  LeBron's a better passer, on defense they're fairly equal, and LeBron's not the scorer Jordan was at all.

LeBron's a better rebounder, and actually a better defender than Michael. His size allows him to be more disruptive defensively and guard more positions.

He's definitely not the same sort of scorer that Michael was.

  A better rebounder? Yes. A more versatile defender? Possibly. A better defender? Not sold on that one from what I've seen.

If they're fairly equal (which you said in above and I agree with ), but LeBron is more versatile that puts LeBron ahead of Jordan doesn't it?

LeBron's ability to play 1-4 allows for killer small lineups that Jordan for all his greatness doesn't grant you.

[Mr October]

Clutch play over time is a huge factor. James isn't anywhere near close enough enough. He isn't even close to Kobe yet.

Lebron's combo of size and speed make him a better defender.

Jordan's post skills, perimeter shot, higher IQ, and clutch play make him a superior scorer.

The passing skills are about the same. Jordan just passed less because he could score on anyone anytime he wanted.

I'll take great offense over great defense. Jordan for the win.

LeBron has been more clutch than Kobe has been in the past 7 years.

Detriot in the ECF? Boston in the EC Semis? Magic series that they lost in the end (where he was AMAZING hitting crazy shots all over the place), and this year? I mean only last year and his first trip to the Finals did he truly come up short.

How about this then:

Lebron is very hot or very cold in clutch moments. its really been a 50-50 on what you are gonna get (prior to this playoff run). He's either been hitting crazy shots or bricking like crazy.

Where has he been 50/50? Go look at the clutch stats, overall stats, and everything else. He's been the best player in every series he's played in except his first Finals run (where he put up an awful showing in the sweep)

I'm not talking about his stats over the course of a game. I'm talking about whether he delivers consistently in the last 4 minutes of close games.

I have seen him fail at least as often as I have seen him succeed. That is being a 50-50 player in the clutch.

If Lebron was automatic in the clutch, he'd have a couple rings by now.

[soap07]

  A better rebounder? Yes. A more versatile defender? Possibly. A better defender? Not sold on that one from what I've seen.

What more do you have to see? He literally took over the Chicago series with his defense on Rose. Jordan was a great defender, but I think it's fair to say LeBron is at least equally as good.

[Eja117]

If I were king of the world I'd drug test him and give him a mental status exam at a hospital......although the part about Nike paying him is a very clever observation.

[Fafnir]

I'm not talking about his stats over the course of a game. I'm talking about whether he delivers consistently in the last 4 minutes of close games.

I have seen him fail at least as often as I have seen him succeed. That is being a 50-50 player in the clutch.

If Lebron was automatic in the clutch, he'd have a couple rings by now.

Jordan wasn't automatic either no one is. If he's making shots/plays 50% of the time in the clutch that'd give him the best percentage in the NBA most years.