Jay Williams says Lebron James was the Scottie Pippen to Dwayne Wade’s Michael Jordan their first year together in Miami. James took exception to that, but it wasn’t because of the comparison to the number 2 on those great Chicago Bulls teams of the 90s. It was because his name was mentioned at all.
Williams was initially responding to Richard Jefferson. Jefferson tweeted that Giannis Antetokounmpo may have more in common with Pippen than he does with Jordan. The new ESPN Radio morning man responded saying that there is nothing wrong with that. Sometimes even the league’s best players still have room to develop.
LeBron responded that he was blindsided by the comparison. “I’m over here minding my damn business preparing for Houston,” he tweeted. “And by the way I ain’t never been nobody but my damn self!”
That last part could be debated. James has certainly carved a very distinct path for his career, but he has acknowledged in the past that several NBA legends have influenced him, as have other legendary athletes like Muhammad Ali.
Either way, it is a strange comparison. By the time Lebron James teamed up with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, he had won two league MVPs and been selected as an All-NBA performer six times.
The validity of Jefferson’s initial statement could also be questioned. Sure, Giannis Antetokounmpo has yet to make it to an NBA Finals, and his Milwaukee Bucks are in a hole right now against the Miami Heat, but the guy won the league MVP award last year, something Pippen never did, and was just named Defensive Player of the Year this season. He may not be Michael Jordan, but saying “Giannis might be a Pippen” as if it is an insult, really devalues just how valuable Pippen was to Jordan’s career.