Bulls legend Scottie Pippen has weighed in on the “GOAT debate,” and his thoughts might surprise you.
During an appearance on First Take, Pippen said that James is “probably ahead” of his longtime teammate Michael Jordan — at least from the statistical standpoint.
“The numbers don’t lie. He’s right there,” Pippen said. “He probably will never catch him in terms of MVP, but in terms of statistics, LeBron is right there. And when you look across the board—not just scoring—check his assists, check his rebounds … he’s probably ahead of Jordan.”
So let’s get this straight: Jordan averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.3 steals throughout his 15 total seasons in the NBA.
James, who is currently in his 15th NBA season, has a career average of 27.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game so far.
Statistically, Jordan has James beat in the points and steals categories but James is recording roughly one rebound and two assists more per game than Jordan. It’s basically a tie.
As for a tie break? Well, don’t forget: Jordan still has six championship titles to the “King’s” three rings.
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