Published 12:49 IST, May 8th 2020
Dennis Rodman confident Scottie Pippen would be better than LeBron James in the 90s
Chicago Bulls star Dennis Rodman does not believe Lakers star LeBron James would have been a better player than Scottie Pippen on the 1990s Chicago Bulls team.
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The release of Michael Jordan's The Last Dance has sparked comparisons between Jordan and the current face of the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James. While reports have discussed which player is better, Chicago Bulls star Dennis Rodman does not believe LeBron James would have been a better player on the 1990s Bulls team. Rodman recently spoke to ESPN, where he defended Scottie Pippen from The Last Dance criticism.
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Dennis Rodman on LeBron James and Scottie Pippen
A part of Dennis Rodman's ESPN interview focused on Dennis Rodman on LeBron James and his comparison with Scottie Pippen. As per Dennis Rodman, James would not have been the second-best player on the 1990s Bulls team. Dennis Rodman stated that Pippen 'revolutionized the point-forward' position, and all the current players like Kevin Durant should thank Pippen.
Pippen could handle the ball, shoot, defend and rebound all at the same time, said Dennis Rodman. He then added that if LeBron James played in the 90s, Scottie Pippen would maintain his position as the second-best player after Jordan. While some fans agreed with Dennis Rodman, many believed that James has proven himself statistically since taking the league by storm in Cleveland. Except for All-Defensive Selections and number of steals, James is ahead of Pippen in every other category.
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Also read | Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman were not close off-court, reveals The Last Dance director
Scottie Pippen stats vs LeBron James stats
LeBron James | Scottie Pippen | |
Points | 34,087 | 18,948 |
Rebounds | 9,353 | 7,494 |
Assists | 9,298 | 6,135 |
Steal | 2,011 | 2.307 |
Blocks | 951 | 947 |
Win Shares | 236.1 | 125.1 |
VORP | 133.2 | 63.2 |
Finals MVPs | 3 | 0 |
NBA MVPs | 4 | 0 |
All-Star Games | 16 | 7 |
All-NBA Selections | 15 | 7 |
All-Defensive Selections | 6 | 10 |
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Dennis Rodman also talked about Pippen being underpaid and underrated at the same time. As per Rodman, Pippen should 'hold his head up higher than Michael Jordan' in The Last Dance. He even added that people are only now realising what Pippen went through. Rodman considers Pippen the Bulls' hero during the 90s. He even hoped that like him, Pippen would not concentrate on what people said. Rodman compared their gameplay together, saying both of them were wiry and excellent defenders. They were not the smartest guys back then, but eventually 'got there'.
Also read | Scottie Pippen net worth: Scottie Pippen stats, championship rings and relationship with Michael Jordan
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12:49 IST, May 8th 2020