The debate about who is the NBA's greatest player of all time will always include Michael Jordan and LeBron James. The accomplishments of the two NBA superstars are nothing short of incredible, their accolades on and off the court, well-deserved. However, Scottie Pippen, a long-time teammate of MJ notes that there is one fundamental difference between His Airness and The King - Jordan has the clutch genes and James doesn't have it.
Speaking on ESPN's "First Take," Scottie Pippen said that LeBron is not "what Michael (Jordan) was as a player." The 6-time NBA champion added that LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers is "not even what Kobe Bryant was as a player."
Pippen went on record and stated that LeBron James is lacking the same gene that made Michael Jordan the competitor that he is. According to Pippen, when you compare LeBron James to Michael Jordan's "instincts, the ability to take over games, his ability to want to have the last shot, LeBron doesn't have that gene."
The Hall of Famer also mentioned that Kobe Bryant had that same gene. According to Pippen, not many NBA players today have that same clutch gene that Jordan and Kobe had. Of the current generation of players, Pippen revealed that he thinks that Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Russell Westbrook have that clutch gene.
Pippen may be a little biased considering that he played with Michael Jordan. After all, the duo won 6 NBA championships together. However, last year, Pippen did say that LeBron James is "right there" in the conversation for the NBA's greatest player of all time.
Currently, Michael Jordan may have the advantage over James when it comes to the narrative about the greatest player to ever play the game. Jordan also has the advantage of having a better NBA Finals record than James, having won 6 NBA championships in 6 tries in comparison to LeBron James' 3 NBA titles in 6 attempts. However, James still has a few good years ahead of him and, therefore, will have the chance to prove his doubters wrong.
While Pippen believes that the great Wilt Chamberlain, another Laker legend, is the greatest basketball player. The former member of the original USA Dream Team suggests that Jordan and LeBron "should never be compared."
The narrative would go on as long as basketball exists. Jordan and James would forever be linked whether they like it or not. And if being clutch is one of the basis when people talk about who the NBA's greatest player of all time is, then Jordan, at least in Pippen's mind, is the better player.
