Scottie Pippen: LeBron James Has Passed Michael Jordan ... Statistically
(670 The Score) As Cavaliers star LeBron James is authoring yet another magnificent campaign in his 15th NBA season and drawing MVP consideration, the debate surrounding his greatness in comparison to Bulls legend figures to start anew.
On Thursday, former Jordan teammate Scott Pippen weighed in. He was in James' favor -- at least statistically.
"The numbers don't lie," Pippen said on ESPN's First Take. "He's right there. 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."
Pippen's take really isn't that controversial. James does have superior numbers in many regards.
He has averaged 27.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 1.6 steals on 50.3 percent shooting and 34.4 percent 3-point shooting in his 15-year career.
Jordan averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.3 steals on 49.7 percent shooting and 32.7 percent 3-point shooting in a career that spanned 15 seasons.
James is a 13-time All-Star who has won four MVPs and been named to the all-defense team six times.
Jordan was a 14-time All-Star who won five MVPs and was named to the all-defense team nine times.