Lakers News: Why Two Legends Refuse To Compare LeBron James With Michael Jordan

The debate rages on.

For whatever reason -- perhaps it's all this LeBron James retirement chatter? -- the evergreen debate about two all-time NBA immortals seems to be weirdly active this week.

Yesterday, Chicago Bulls Hall of Fame small forward Scottie Pippen once again offered some surprisingly dismissive talk regarding the guy he won six titles with, Bulls Hall of Fame shooting guard Michael Jordan, during a podcast conversation with former Chicago teammate Stacey King.

Today, two former NBA All-Stars weighed in on the conversation with Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson of Bally Sports.

Former All-Star power forward Charles Oakley felt that trying to draw direct parallels between the bulkier, bigger James to the slicker, smoother Jordan was a bit of an apples-to-oranges comparison.

“It’s like comparing Magic to Wilt Chamberlain,” Oakley, a one-time teammate of MJ's on the Bulls who's perhaps best remembered as an antagonist on the New York Knicks, offered. “I don’t like to compare because they’re two completely different players.” 

“So, two different players right?" Oakley continued. "LeBron don’t look like anybody. LeBron is LeBron. Ain’t never been a guy like LeBron. There’s been guys like Michael, like Kobe. We can compare Kobe to Mike.”

Hall of Fame shooting guard Ray Allen, a 10-time All-Star who won titles with the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat (the latter alongside James), offered a similar caveat about the comparison being made at all.

“LeBron is a power," Allen said. "He’s a mismatch. MJ is more like grace and finesse. The comparison is really unfair to both.”

Are you following us on Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube yet? Join the conversation as we discuss the latest Lakers news and rumors with fans like you!