LeBron disagrees with Pippen's Jordan comparison

NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen took a lot of heat over the weekend, when he declared LeBron James may be the best player to ever play the game. While I agree it's a bit too early to start comparing LeBron James' career to Michael Jordan's, there is a solid possibility that LeBron's legacy will be just as impressive.

Stat wise, LeBron is definitely comparable to Jordan, given his 27.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 7 assists per game average. Jordan finished his career averaging 30.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. However, Jordan isn't considered the greatest player of all time because of his stats, but rather for the many memories fans enjoyed on his way to six NBA titles. LeBron is currently on track to win his first NBA title at 26 years old, two years younger than Jordan (who won his first championship at the age of 28).

LeBron was humbled by Pippen's comparisons, but even James himself admitted he wasn't on Jordan's level yet. LeBron told reporters:

"Michael's an unbelievable player, I've got a long way -- long way -- to be mentioned as far as one of the all-time greats. Not even just Jordan. There's a lot of great players who have played in this league. Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, all these guys who are floating around with multiple rings, Bill Russell, all these guys who have pioneered this game. I'm gracious. Humbled by Scottie's comments, especially with him being a teammate of his and seeing Michael on a day-to-day basis. But as far as me, I'm not going to sit here and say I'm better than Jordan. I'm not better than Jordan."

While LeBron still has a long way to go before earning the title of greatest player of all time, he is clearly the best player in the NBA right now. No other player in the NBA can create shots for his teammates, score points, or pull down boards like LeBron James can.

In his first year with a legitimate NBA franchise, James is four games away from securing his first NBA championship.

David is a Miami Heat fan that has followed the team for 15 years.

Sources:

Associated Press,"LeBron James flattered by comparisons"

Player and game information from espn.com