Former Chicago Bulls star and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen has been making some provocative statements lately. He seemingly threw fellow Hall of Famer Michael Jordan under the bus, and he has also accused his former coach Phil Jackson of being racist.
The other day, he was at it again, making a statement that seemed an implied dig at Jordan while praising Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.
The six-time NBA champion said James will end up as “the greatest statistical guy to ever play the game of basketball.” At the same time, he said that when he came to the Bulls in 1987, Jordan “was a horrible player” and that the world titles Chicago won made people forget about that (h/t Lakers Daily).
“LeBron James will be the greatest statistical [player] to ever play the game of basketball. [Michael Jordan] was a horrible player.”
– Scottie Pippen
(h/t @DieHardCBfans )
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) May 26, 2023
Was Pippen implying he thinks James is a greater player than Jordan, as he has in the past?
James, of course, became the NBA’s all-time leading career scorer this season and is climbing the statistical ladder in other categories as well. If he continues to play, he could have a shot at adding to his four NBA championships and strengthening his argument as one of the all-time greats.