“Scottie Pippen would have shut his f**ing a** down quick” - Dennis Rodman claims he, Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan would’ve locked LeBron James and Kevin Durant down
Chicago Bulls legend Dennis Rodman recently claimed that he, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen had the ability to easily lock down Kevin Durant and LeBron James.
The Chicago Bulls of the '90s were one of the best teams of all time. Served by the trio of Jordan, Pippen and Rodman, the Bulls were virtually unstoppable.
Taking pride in his ability to clamp down on the best in the league, Rodman said he would have had no trouble guarding James and Durant, who are widely considered the most dominant players in the league today.
"You know who could lock LeBron up? Me, Mike and Scottie could. F**k yeah. I would have locked his a** up. LeBron is so easy to play. He's so f***ing easy to play, he doesn't have any moves. Only move he has is streaking down the line. He ain't got no moves.
"Where he going?? Where is he going that's quick? Scottie Pippen would have shut his f**ing a** down quick before I get to him. His game is too simple, he's just big. I'm 260 and 6'8" and 6'9", that's the only thing he got pretty much. I played against guys seven-foot, 300, so it doesn't really matter."
Rodman was far from finished. He followed up his shot at James with some comments on Durant.
"KD, same thing. Once you know people's game, it's very easy to play them. They just long and tall."
Dennis Rodman on guarding LeBron and KD: https://t.co/KiUCXmnCsF
Would Dennis Rodman have been able to guard LeBron James and Kevin Durant?
Dennis Rodman is widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time and won two Defensive Player of the Year awards.
Dennis Rodman mastered the art of turning defense and rebounding into offense with his outlet passes.
While we wait for new episodes of #TheLastDance, check out The Worm breaking down the Bulls offense and defense in the latest episode of Detail on ESPN+ es.pn/2Yf4fxC https://t.co/LtuwPk1FUP
But whether he would have been able to guard James and Durant is something we will never have an answer to.
James' physical ability and quickness in his prime made him extremely difficult to guard despite what Rodman considers a "simple" style of play.
Durant poses a different challenge considering his length and ability to score from all areas of the court.
Kevin Durant playing 2v2 and putting on a scoring clinic @RicoHinesBball https://t.co/A8iXrBl1Gs
While it is natural for Rodman to take pride in his defensive skills, he could have done so without trying to knock down two of the most gifted offensive players the game has ever seen.