It didn’t take the NBA teams much time to realize that if Michael Jordan was playing—all the odds could be in your favor—but the man would still score 25 against you in the first half, then stick his tongue out before another dunk. He was so confident in his abilities that back in 1987, when Reggie Miller provoked him by calling him the new kid in town, ‘MJ’ knew exactly how to shut him. By the end of the game, he outscored Miller 40-2 and hit back, “Be careful, you never talk to Black Jesus like that.”

A bit later came LeBron James, who looked up to Jordan. But the young player had no idea he would someday reach a stage in life where he would be pitted against his idol. The G.O.A.T. debate on social media: Michael Jordan versus LeBron James. But is there a new name in the mix?

Let us first go back to 2021. Scottie Pippen has claimed he wanted to be remembered as the greatest basketball player in an interview with Good Morning America. So when he was asked about the controversial comment during his new appearance on the PBD (Patrick Bet-David) podcast, Pippen only doubled down on it. “When you play the game the way I played it – you play on both ends, why can’t I say that? And say it and mean it,” he shared. Well, he may have had his own opinions, but it seems like his statement hasn’t gone down too well.

Here’s the thing. Pippen, on separate occasions, has claimed both Michael Jordan and LeBron James are deserving of the G.O.A.T. title.

But since his rift with MJ, there may be tensions. But still, when Stephen A. Smith heard Pippen’s thoughts, in his vocabulary, he felt it was preposterous. There is no question that Pippen has the resume and was a savant of the game. Arguably one of the greatest players of all time, the ESPN analyst even crowned him the greatest defensive player. However, among all of Pippen’s wild claims on the podcast, GOAT went a little too far for him. Smith stated in his latest video on YouTube:

“Drug test him now! I want tests! Get a urine sample. Get a blood test. Drug test him now! You got to be kidding me… How are you the best when you weren’t even the best on your own team? How were you the best when you weren’t even the number one option?

“It hurts me because I don’t want to do this. If you are the best, why were you calling for Jordan? If you were the best, why were you pouting on the bench when Phil Jackson called Toni Kukoc’s number instead of yours in a playoff series against the Knicks? If you were the best, why was Bill Cartwright in the locker room crying while excoriating you from abandoning your teammates? You led, you led, you also quit.”

This takes us back to 1994. Pippen simply didn’t play the final 1.8 seconds in Game 3 of Chicago’s playoff series against the New York Knicks. Why? It was his act of defiance after Jackson designed the game-winning shot for Kukoc, while Pippen was supposed to be inbounding. It could have fractured the team.

But the truth is Scottie Pippen was never the number-one option during his playing years. Hence, Smith couldn’t comprehend his statement. And he even confronted Patrick Bet-David. “Is there any time in your lifetime watching basketball that you either said yourself or heard somebody say Scottie Pippen was in the GOAT conversation ever?” he asked his good friend on the Stephen A. Smith Show.

Stephen A. Smith also comes to the defense of LeBron James

As mentioned, Pippen pinning himself as the GOAT wasn’t the only statement that irked Stephen A. Smith. Just moments before dwelling on that conversation, the Bulls icon even said that from a team standpoint, he would put himself ahead of LeBron James. “I got six rings,” he told Bet-David.

Smith too has used this argument to defend his friend Michael Jordan when put up against the Akron Hammer. But as far as respect goes, the 57-year-old analyst has plenty for LeBron James. He celebrates the Lakers forward as probably the only one worthy to be in the discussion with His Airness.

And Pippen saying, “Do you want individual accolades or championship because I didn’t chase mine,” led to Smith jumping in his defense. The face of ESPN essentially shut down allegations that James has ‘chased’ his accolades by pointing out a missing piece to otherwise Pippen’s fascinating skill set.

“Scottie, you were never that dude offensively. Stop. Stop it. Now, I’m as critical of LeBron James as anybody who is fair-minded… LeBron James is one of the top two, three players in the history of basketball and you know it. How do we know you know that? There’s certain times you flirted with him being better than Michael Jordan and you know that’s blasphemy but you were never that offensive player,” he said in reference to Pippen claiming the King was the GOAT in 2017.

Scottie Pippen does have every reason to believe he played the right way. As part of the Chicago Bulls, he was integral in them achieving two three-peats in eight years. However, LeBron James personifies professionalism with his longevity and work ethic. The long range of accolades and records is a testament to his greatness. Not many in the world of sports boast the achievements of the Akron Hammer.

What are your thoughts on Pippen’s comments? Let us know your views in the comments below.