Scottie Pippen has named who he believes to be the NBA‘s greatest player of all time — and it isn’t his Chicago Bulls teammate Michael Jordan.
While Jordan and LeBron James are highly considered to be the top two contenders for the title, Pippen shared his belief with Patrick Bet-David on his PBD Podcast that the concept of a GOAT, “doesn’t exist in team sports.” He later offered a more direct answer, addressing those who assume he’d name Jordan and James, like most others.
“You can’t ask me who’s the GOAT between LeBron and Michael,” Pippen said. “Neither one of them are GOATS. They both won differently. You can’t put them at the top of the pinnacle. Magic Johnson to me is a bigger GOAT than anybody because of how he led, how he brought a whole team. How when the greatest scorer in the game, Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] was not there and him as a rookie steps in and plays a position that no one even knew he could play, that’s transcending what you can do as a player.”
Los Angeles Lakers Magic Johnson (32) in action vs Chicago Bulls Scottie Pippen (33) at Great Western Forum. Inglewood, CA 2/2/1996. Photo by Richard Mackson /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images.
Pippen did show Jordan some love when asked — from an owner’s perspective — who would be his No. 1 draft pick if choosing from former players.
“I’m gonna pick Michael [Jordan],” he replied, adding that he’d choose himself as his second pick. Fellow Bulls Dennis Rodman or Horace Grant would take the third spot for Pippen, as he sees this former roster as the hardest to beat.
“We did it for three years,” he added of the championship team. “Me and Michael did it for six.” Check out the Q&A below.
Leave a comment