Scottie Pippen admits that NBA star LeBron James is a great player. So great, in fact, to keep from being too overshadowed Pippen claims, “I was LeBron James before LeBron James.”
"I'm no slouch, but when comparing LeBron's game, I'm usually left out,” the retired player with a successful 17-year NBA career under his belt told the
Northeast Ohio Media Group on Monday.
"They want to compare him to the greatest, whether it be Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson, but he's more closer to myself," said Pippen. "It's natural for folks to say that, but if you look at how he plays the game and how I played the game, you'll see more similarities with us."
Pippen and James attended the Nike Basketball Academy over the weekend to watch and scout out some of the best high school and college athletes in the U.S. While Pippen was busy comparing himself to the Cleveland Cavaliers player, James led young athletes in yoga,
said the Bleacher Report.
A fan caught the beach-side yoga lesson on camera and posted the picture on Twitter.
James also played a 1-on-6 game of basketball with several 10-year-olds, reported Northeast Ohio Media Group. The children tried trapping the all-star in a corner as their defense, but James dribbled around them and delivered a fade-away jump shot.
Parents watching their children play with James from the sidelines began comparing him to older players including Magic Johnson and Michael Jordon, said the Media Group.
Pippen, who was once voted one of the 50 best basketball players of all time, also used to be compared to Jordan.
The former Chicago Bulls player tweeted from the event.
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