Scottie Pippen not shocked LeBron James left Heat for Cavaliers
By Bryan Rose
While former teammates may have been shocked that LeBron James decided to leave the Miami Heat and re-join the Cleveland Cavaliers, one person who wasn’t all that taken back is NBA legend Scottie Pippen. The Chicago Bulls great recently spoke to to ESPN Chicago where he expressed his lack of surprise.
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“I kind of figured he’d go back [to Cleveland],” Pippen said during an appearance at Whitney Young High School. “I don’t know if he could hold that team up. I think [Dwyane] Wade’s physical ability had him thinking, like, ‘Hey, maybe this is not the place I need to be.’ It was a great run for them. They weren’t as successful as they thought they would be, but you went to the Finals four times, so you can’t hold your head down too much about that.”
While many were shocked LeBron James decided to leave the bright lights of South Beach to head home, Pippen’s suggestion of Wade’s health is a valid one. Many would have questioned LeBron James’ legacy (right or wrong) if he wasn’t able to lead the Miami Heat to victory without Wade, so now that’s a worry no longer on his shoulders considering the vast amount of talent he’ll partner with as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
As for Pippen, the special advisor to chief operating officer Michael Reinsdorf, he was a major asset in the recruiting of Carmelo Anthony to the Chicago Bulls but says he wasn’t too disappointed that Melo decided to return to the New York Knicks suggesting the Bulls have a championship caliber roster without him.