Why Pippen says there's no comparing LeBron James and Michael Jordan

The Bulls great doesn't think Jordan/LeBron comparisons are fair because their roles are so different

With LeBron James and the Cavaliers dominating the Eastern Conference and seemingly headed back to yet another appearance in the NBA Finals, the hot-topic debate on your local radio station is the same as the national radio station and television network: Has LeBron James surpassed Michael Jordan?

At its core, the debate comes down to NBA championships. LeBron has won three NBA titles compared to Michael's six, so that's hardly a debate. If you're a LeBron defender you'll bring up his ability to distribute as well as score. If you're sold on M.J. as the GOAT, you'll likely compare regular-season MVP awards, which M.J. also owns, and maybe even bring up his clutch gene and sheer competitiveness.

But Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, who was Jordan's running mate in Chicago for those six titles, says the two greats shouldn't be compared ... at all. Same goes for comparing LeBron with Kobe Bryant.

"I don't think [LeBron] should be compared to either of those players because they play different positions," Pippen said to ESPN. "Kobe and Michael [Jordan] are both 2-guards. They're both scorers. They're mostly like a Kyrie [Irving]. They're looking to score the basketball when it hits their hand. They're not looking to make plays for anyone on the floor. They're not looking to be a facilitator. That's the role that LeBron plays because he's such a dominant and powerful force, and he's a great passer."

As for a more suitable comparison, Pippen thinks comparing LeBron with the likes of Magic Johnson and even himself makes much more sense given the way LeBron plays the game.

"I think he plays a lot more like Magic. A lot more like myself, how I played," Pippen said. "Obviously he's more dominant than both me and Magic because of the way that he plays the game -- his physicality, his athleticism surpass Magic, as well as me."

Pippen was a heck of a wing man for Jordan with the Bulls and provided a reliable scoring option alongside Jordan during the team's incredible run in the 1990s. But does that comparison -- saying James is more dominant than Magic -- mean LeBron has moved past Magic?

Not quite.

"I don't want to say he's surpassed Magic," Pippen clarified. "They're both up there. Magic is truly one of the greatest to ever play the game, and he transcended how a big guard, 6-foot-9, could play all over the floor, and really motivated me that I could play at the top of the floor and run an offense as well. That's what you're seeing in LeBron. He's a guy that runs a team. We never saw Kobe and Michael at the point running a team. They're not comfortable in that position because when they cross halfcourt, they're thinking to score."