Scottie Pippen: LeBron James not what MJ or Kobe were as players

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“When I look at LeBron James, he’s not what Michael [Jordan] was as a player. He’s not even what Kobe Bryant was as a player,” Pippen told the hosts. “When you talk about trying to compare Michael’s instinct, his ability to take over games, his ability to want to have that last shot. LeBron doesn’t have that gene.”

Pippen won six championships in Chicago as Jordan’s sidekick. In the past, he hasn’t been shy to offer both praise and doubt over James’ work ethic, and that’s exactly the argument he took when as he plead his case . He was especially skeptic of how James handled the 117-113 loss against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday.

“I can sit here and say today, I watched LeBron the other night,” Pippen explained. “The game was on the line. And he made little or no effort to go after the ball.”

Even after co-host Max Kellerman defended King James, Pippen nonetheless added the former Cleveland Cavalier doesn’t posses that “clutch” gene like his former teammate.

“It’s that clutch gene. I’m not taking it away that he don’t know how to win, and he’s not willing to have the ball in his hands. But the players that have that clutch gene, they’re gonna go get that ball.”

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