"I got 6 rings": Scottie Pippen puts forth a lame argument for being better than LeBron James owing to "team success"

Scottie Pippen caused quite a stir in the NBA media world this past week. Pippen went on the "PBD Podcast" with host Patrick Bet-David on Thursday to talk about his experiences in the NBA and life after as a Hall of Famer.

The discussion turned to Pippen's success with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s and his perspective that he belongs in the greatest of all-time debate. Bet-David asked Pippen if he would put himself ahead of LeBron James from a team standpoint. (Start at 57:32)

"My success as a team is more succesful than LeBron's, I got 6 rings." Pippen answers.

After Pippen made that statement about him and LeBron, Bet-David asked a follow-up question:

"If I speak from an NBA Owners standpoint, and I want to find an all-around player to be my number 1 (option), do you think the average Owner is going to pick you or LeBron?"

Pippen ponders the question for a second before saying:

"I don't know, do you want individual accolades or do you want championships? 'Cause I didn't chase mine."

Scottie Pippen holds a 6-4 edge over LeBron James in terms of career championships. James left the team that drafted him, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and teamed up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat to win his first two NBA championships.

James then went back to Cleveland to win his third championship with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Finally, James went to the Lakers (where he still is to this day) and won his fourth championship with Anthony Davis.

Meanwhile, Pippen won all six of his championships with the Bulls, who acquired him via trade after the Seattle SuperSonics drafted him in 1987.

Scottie Pippen says there's no basketball GOAT

Scottie Pippen's interview with Patrick Bet-David often returned to the discussion of the GOAT, or the greatest of all time.

But Pippen pushed back on the very notion of having a GOAT in a team sport like basketball. (Start at 1:27:45)

"When you ask who's better, LeBron or Michael, you can't ask me who's the GOAT between LeBron and Michael. Neither one of them are GOATs they both won differently, you can't put them at the pinnacle."

Pippen then brought up that legendary Lakers point guard Magic Johnson has a better case for being the GOAT because of how he brought his team together.