The debate of the greatest NBA players of all time has an interesting view on the positions of Allen Iverson and Scotty Pippen.
The Chicago Bulls dominated the 1990s as the organization won six NBA championships on six trips to the final.
Hall of Fame Michael Jordan was at the forefront of the team, but it’s hard to ignore the contributions of his assistant commander, Scotty Pippen.
However, according to Gilbert Arenas, Pippen is a six-fold NBA champion, but is lower than the legendary Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James recently made headlines after criticising “ring culture” in the modern NBA.
When he appeared in The Dan Patrick Show, Arenas agreed that James was thinking the same thing. He supported his point by citing examples of Iverson and Pippen’s all-time ranks.
“History says that according to Allen Iverson, he was a top player in the NBA and that he was an MVP in his background, so he’ll be remembered more,” Arenas said.
He added: “All MVPs, one is the best player. If you’re a scoring champion, I say you’re the top five.”
Simply put, Arenas believes that an NBA title alone cannot be a determinant of a player’s legacy. Unfortunately, that seems to be an increasing problem in the present era.
Arenas further strengthened his statement by pointing out clear differences in how NBA fans treat Pippen compared to MJ or AI.
“The average fan says six rings, but we look at Scotty Pippen and see how he is treated. He’s not being treated like Michael Jordan,” Arenas continued.
Arenas concluded by saying: “When you walk in public, do you get respected? If you say Scotty Pippen and Allen Iverson, then everyone is going to say Allen Iverson.
Clearly, Pippen won’t take away what he achieved during his NBA career, but it also proves that winning the NBA Championship is not everything.
| statistics | All Iversons | Scotty Pippen |
| point | 26.7 ppg | 16.1 ppg |
| rebound | 3.7 RPG | 6.4 RPG |
| assist | 6.2 APG | 5.2 APG |
| NBA Championship | 0 | 6 |
| All-Star Game | 11 choices | Seven choices |
| Hall of Fame | yes | yes |
After all, Iverson is a cultural icon, and fans remember his time in the league fondly. Meanwhile, as Arenas previously stated, being a passenger on a team that won the championship can only support Pippen’s legacy.