For Scottie Pippen, no one in today’s game could match Michael Jordan’s competitiveness, even LeBron James.

It may seem like a familiar refrain, but Michael Jordan’s legendary competitiveness deserves endless discussion. His mentality was so unique that it baffled even the most accomplished athletes. Scottie Pippen, who shared the court with him, stated unequivocally that no player in today’s NBA—LeBron James included—could replicate that same drive.

“I will say he, Michael, he was built different,” the six-time NBA champion stated on the PBD Podcast. “Competitive 24/7. Not too many people are built like that. Willing to compete at any level and at anything. So, when you look at players in today’s era, being LeBron, there’s really no comparison. When you talk about the level of competitiveness, Michael bunched up all of his competitiveness and sort of exposed it out to the world within 12 to 14 years.”

“We saw his whole resumè, his competitiveness, his drive, his will to win, what he’s wanted to do. When someone like LeBron has spread that out for 20-plus years, it’s not the same drive, it’s not the same fight, it’s not the same hunger… They ain’t even in the same plane,” added the 1995 NBA steals leader.

A shot at LeBron’s longevity?

As Pip mentioned, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar is in his 22nd season. He still plays at an elite level, averaging close to 24 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists a night. That said, the long-limbed Bulls legend sounded like he was not particularly impressed with “The King’s” longevity.

Pippen points out that Jordan’s peak competitive fire was concentrated in a relatively short 12 to 14-year window. (MJ played 13 seasons with the Chicago Bulls.) During that time, Jordan gave everything he had. His competitiveness was on full display, and he made every moment count.

This starkly contrasts players like James, who have maintained their drive for over two decades. According to the 10-time All-Defensive team member, while LBJ’s longevity is impressive, it doesn’t match Jordan’s pure intensity and raw hunger during his prime years.

As the host, Patrick Bet-David, noted, Pippen made a rather interesting point in this discussion.

“What a freaking point you just made: condensing time frames,” PBD acknowledged. “I don’t know if you saw the stat today that said: ‘Yes, LeBron may have passed Michael for the most 30-point games, but it will take another 32 years (for him) to pass Michael in 40-point games.'”

“It’s not even worth talking about when you ask who’s better, LeBron or Michael,” Pippen interjected.

Even Kobe couldn’t touch MJ’s competitive drive

Some consider Kobe Bryant a remix version of MJ, a more skilled basketball player who could do more things on the court than his mentor. Nevertheless, as Pippen noted, nobody, even Mamba, came close to the Black Cat regarding his willingness to compete at anything. Even Bryant attested to this.

“We’re really different. He’s crazy; he’ll compete at anything. He’ll compete with any and everything; I won’t. I’ll only compete with things I’m good at,” the 2008 MVP said on the All the Smoke podcast.

It does sound like a broken record, but MJ’s competitiveness is otherworldly. There’s no other way to explain it. It needs to be studied in a lab so that mere humans can understand why he was wired differently. For all his greatness, LeBron doesn’t seem to have that same savage mindset. His longevity and consistency are remarkable, but a different fire burned inside Michael—a fire that no one in today’s game has truly matched.