By admin 
Player comparisons are a staple of every sport, fueling discussions and arguments that may last for hours, days, months, or even years. The NBA is no stranger to it, too, with fans and the media drawing parallels between their favorite superstars, no matter the era.
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The most recent instance was on the “Crossover podcast,” where the entire panel got into a heated discussion about Scottie Pippen vs. Kawhi Leonard: who is the better player? Interestingly, aside from Hardaway, the panel seemed to favor Leonard, highlighting the latter’s individual accolades and ability to be the No. 1 guy on a championship team.
On the other hand, Hardaway based his argument primarily on Pippen’s ability to guard multiple positions on the court.
“He can stop one through five,”
When asked whether Pippen could guard a legit center back then, Hardaway had the following response: “He could at times,”citing names like Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon. As for Kawhi having two DPOYs compared to Scottie’s zero, Tim said Michael Jordan won the award Pip was supposed to win in 1988.
The similar archetype
When we talk about the Bulls dynasty, it is almost impossible not to mention Pippen, even though Jordan was at the forefront of most things. Standing 6’8″ with a 7’3″ wingspan, Scottie’s physicality gave him a significant edge over several other players.
With similar physical traits, Leonard stands 6’6″ and has a 7’3″ wingspan. Nicknamed the Klaw for a reason, his exceptionally large hands allowed him to disrupt lanes and pester ball handlers. This is thereby a big threat to the opposition’s primary scorer.
When comparing the two, Kawhi edged Scottie on offense, thanks to his textbook midrange pull-up jumpers. On the other end, the Bulls legend was a better floor general who knew how to run the offense. One of the biggest difference-makers was that, unlike Pippen, Leonard had proved he could be the No. 1 option on a championship team.
Viewed only from an individual perspective, the Klaw clearly has a stronger case than Pip, at least on paper.
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Scottie had no objections to the comparisons
Unlike many of his peers, who weren’t the most welcoming of any comparison to the modern era, Pippen saw merit in the argument when it came to being compared to him. It did make sense to a certain extent, as Scottie wrote on X.
A lot of people compare Kawhi to me & it makes sense. He’s always been elite on D & now he’s killing it offensively. Dominant all-around.
– Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) March 11, 2016
Getting a lot of Qs about @kawhileonard who is off to a fast start tonight. No doubt he’s one of the best players in the game.
– Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) March 11, 2016
It was clear the six-time NBA champion had no issue calling Kawhi one of the best players in the league. That said, in a stat-for-stat comparison, Leonard has averaged 20.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.7 steals in 14 NBA seasons so far. On the other hand, Scottie averaged 16.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 2.0 steals over 17 seasons.
Looking at the stats, one could conclude that Leonard is a better scorer, while Pippen has the edge in all-around play.
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This story was originally published September 11, 2026 at 3:24 AM.