Shoutout: An argument that LeBron James has been Scottie Pippen all along

That's LeBron behind Dwyane Wade last night

If there’s one writing rule I follow religiously, it’s this one: Every rule deserves to be broken once in a while.

So yesterday I lectured sternly about avoiding the cliche of starting an article with a quote. Today: A shoutout to an article that starts with a quote.

Moke Hamilton writes that not only is LeBron James no Michael Jordan, but also that James has known that for years, and he’s been trying to tell the rest of us in various ways.

“All of the talk and comparisons to Jordan began because of the potential we saw in James,” Hamilton writes. “From the very beginning, he had Magic Johnson’s skills, Karl Malone’s frame and Dominique Wilkins’ athleticism.

“Unfortunately, he doesn’t have Jordan’s guts. And he knew it long before we did.”

Hamilton argues, convincingly, that LeBron has been angling for the Scottie Pippen role for a long time, as evidenced by “The Decision” to join forces with Dwyane Wade, and even more subtle moves like his abandonment of the jersey number 23 or his refusal to take the court during pregame introductions in Cleveland this season.

Can you imagine Jordan shrinking from a venomous crowd like that?

It’s a well-written, solidly argued piece — and that initial quote is imaginary, so maybe that mitigates things a bit? Readers have responded with, at this writing, 60 comments.

And if you’re just looking for a way to kill the rest of your Friday afternoon — consider this a warning — you might want to look at Timothy Rapp’s just-published video slideshow of The Top 60 Highlight Reel Heroes in Sports History.