Carmelo Anthony recently made waves on the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, delivering a passionate critique of Scottie Pippen’s recent comments regarding Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
Pippen, who has become increasingly outspoken about his former teammate Jordan and his GOAT rival LeBron, has drawn criticism for his seemingly contradictory statements. Carmelo didn’t hold back in defending both Jordan and LeBron while calling out Pippen’s actions as inconsistent and unnecessary.
“So, Scottie, come on, Scottie. Come on. Like, let’s not do this, B. And you can’t do this every time, though, Scottie. My n***a, like, you done been in the bunker with MJ. You done been in the trenches with this guy. You signed up for the breakfast club, n***a, for six years.”
“Like, you was part of that. Don’t take that away from the guard now, after all these years, whatever feelings you feel about him. Like, n***a, that is who it is. That’s MJ, n***a, like, you know what time it is with that.”
“As far as LeBron goes, leave that man the f**k alone. Like, leave the n***a alone, Scottie. Like, pay homage to Magic, but leave them n****s alone. Them n****s is the GOATs of our league, man. Those are the three.”
“So, whatever issues you have with Bron, like, leave that s**t alone, Scottie. Like, n***a, nobody’s burning, even thinking about you. Like, as a matter of fact, this is a situation that Bron need to see Scottie. Like, enough is f**k enough. Not even square up. For me, you gotta have a real conversation. Like, what the f**k is going on?”
“You can’t keep MJ the GOAT this day, and LeBron is the GOAT better than MJ the next day. Oh, six years later, you know what? F**k both of them n****s. Magic is the GOAT. N***a, Magic been the GOAT. You could pay homage and respect to n****s without putting one of them down.”
“Like, you don’t—that means you don’t really f**k with MJ. Nah, you really don’t f**k with him. Say all that s**t for all them years. We know that was bulls**t. I really didn’t f**k with MJ. It was just all business.”
“The thing is, to me, you can have that opinion. You can say Magic is a GOAT. You can say LeBron is a GOAT. You can have your—whatever your opinion is, you can have it. But it’s like, you shooting shots at everybody that’s against—that is, like, on the opposite side.”
“You bigging them up just to take shots at a n***a that you’ve been to war with. N***a, you did this. Let’s not forget these moments, is what I’m saying. You going against your man. That’s supposed to be your man. Magic is an op to MJ. He was an op to you too, n***a.”
“If you just took the stance of, listen, I’m Scottie Pippen. This is my career. I did this. Maybe you stand in a lane by yourself. If you really want to get technical with it, you stand in a category by yourself.”
“Whether you want to accept you being the best Robin or the best wingman of all time, that’s you. That’s you, n***a. When it comes to a trophy, that’s your trophy. You the guy for that. Accept that.”
“Everybody can’t be Black Jesus. Everybody can’t be The King. And that’s okay. Everybody can’t be, you know, Magic. Everybody can’t be that.”
“You have your lane. Let us respect you for that. Don’t start talking about, ‘My six rings is more than this.’ Yeah, leave that alone. You respectfully can say that because you done did it. That’s two different situations.”
Anthony started by addressing Pippen’s tendency to flip-flop on his opinions of Jordan and LeBron, noting how contradictory his remarks have been over the years. Melo also pointed out the shared history between Pippen and Jordan, highlighting their dominance together during the Chicago Bulls’ six championships.
Switching to Pippen’s remarks about LeBron, Carmelo was equally direct. Melo stressed that LeBron, alongside Jordan and Magic Johnson, represents one of the “GOATs” of the league—players who are untouchable in terms of their impact and greatness. According to Anthony, taking shots at LeBron feels unnecessary and unproductive, especially given LeBron’s achievements and stature in the game.
Carmelo suggested that LeBron should directly address Pippen’s ongoing critiques. Carmelo also took time to remind Pippen of his unique place in basketball history. While acknowledging that not everyone can be “Black Jesus” (Jordan) or “The King” (LeBron), Melo argued that Pippen’s legacy as the best “Robin” in NBA history is something to be proud of.
Anthony criticized Pippen for seemingly downplaying his accomplishments to fuel grievances against Jordan and others. One of Carmelo’s key points was that Pippen could praise Magic Johnson, Jordan, or LeBron without tearing anyone down in the process.
Pippen’s recent string of polarizing comments, where he made headlines by taking shots at Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and even today’s NBA players, while proclaiming Magic Johnson as the greatest player of all time. Pippen also stirred controversy with comments about LeBron James, flip-flopping on his stance yet again.
Carmelo Anthony’s impassioned defense of Jordan and LeBron highlights the respect that both players command across generations of NBA stars. While recognizing Pippen’s contributions to basketball history, Melo urged him to stop using public comments to air personal grievances, particularly against players like Jordan and LeBron, who are integral to the game’s legacy.
Ultimately, Anthony called for unity and respect among basketball’s greatest icons, reminding Pippen that his own lane is one worth celebrating.
