Warren Moon compares Patrick Mahomes to Scottie Pippen, not Magic Johnson. Courtesy of the Kansas City Chiefs
Warren Moon has watched the quarterback position stretch and morph for decades. He built a Hall of Fame career in an era that demanded timing, toughness, and precision, then kept studying as the game turned faster and looser.
So when Moon gets asked to compare Patrick Mahomes to an NBA player, he does not reach for the obvious answer. He reaches for the one that fits the job.
Why He Lands on Pippen
In a Scoop B Radio conversation at a charity event raising money for cancer research, Moon was asked for Mahomes’ NBA equivalent. He started by describing the traits he sees: creativity, late-game nerve, competitiveness, and high-end athleticism.
Then he named Scottie Pippen.
That choice runs against the usual comp. Most people lean Magic Johnson because Mahomes plays with feel and flair. Moon did not dismiss Magic’s impact. He just drew a different line. The athlete profile, he said, is not the same.
Moon’s case for Pippen was straightforward. Pippen could do anything on the court. He defended at an elite level. He could run the offense when needed. He led without needing to dominate the scoring column, in part because Michael Jordan was there.
That is the quarterback parallel Moon is chasing. Not a single signature skill, but range.
Snap paragraph: Mahomes wins in more than one language.
The Quarterback Version of Two-Way Value
Moon’s point is that Mahomes is not only an off-platform passer. He is an all-conditions problem solver.
Sometimes it is a throw from an awkward arm slot. Sometimes it is pocket movement that buys a beat. Sometimes it is a scramble that turns coverage into chaos. The common thread is that the answer changes, but the result does not.
That is why the Pippen comparison lands. Pippen’s value did not live in one highlight. It lived in possession-by-possession influence, the kind that shows up in defense, tempo, and decision-making.
Moon is saying Mahomes does that from the quarterback spot. He can be the creator and the stabilizer on the same drive.
Moon’s Development Blueprint
The interview also drifted into Moon’s own path, which still offers one of football’s clearest development lessons. Before his NFL career took off, Moon spent significant time in the CFL.
He said those years helped because he played every week. He was not sitting as a backup watching. He was in live, real-game situations: two-minute drills, closing out games, and third-down conversions. He also pointed to how the CFL period sharpened his dropback game, something he said he did not do much in college.
Reps mattered. Pressure mattered. So did problem-solving in real time.
That theme mirrors the Mahomes conversation. Athletic talent is a separator, but quarterbacking is also repetition, processing, and trust in chaos.
Who Moon Sees in Today’s NFL
Moon was asked which current quarterback reminds him most of himself. He picked Dak Prescott.
Moon framed it as “a bit of both,” a player who can pass and move and is athletic enough without being defined by it. He noted that injuries have slowed Prescott at times and added that he might have been a slightly better pure thrower, but the shape of the game felt familiar.
It was a self-scout, not a victory lap.
And it reinforced the logic behind Pippen as the Mahomes comp. Moon is not chasing the loudest comparison. He is chasing what the job requires.
What the Comparison Really Reveals
Sports comparisons often chase style. Moon chased responsibility.
Pippen’s best skill was role flexibility without losing impact. Defend the top option. Initiate offense. Close out possessions. Fill gaps, then create advantages. Mahomes, in Moon’s view, does a football version of that on Sundays.
Read the front. Adjust protections. Manipulate coverage. Deliver the throw. And when it breaks, create anyway.
That is also why the Magic label can miss the point. Magic evokes performance and playmaking as the headline. Pippen evokes the full workload: athleticism, versatility, and two-way influence.
Mahomes is entertaining. He is also suffocating. The creativity gets clipped and shared. The total effect wins games.
Moon’s perspective carries weight because his career crossed borders and eras. He dominated in Canada, then helped reshape how the league viewed a quarterback who could win from the pocket with timing and touch.
That is why the Pippen answer works as more than a fun comp. It is a small lesson in how to watch Mahomes. Look past the viral angles. Track the way he affects every snap, even when the play is ordinary.
That is the hidden superstar trait.
About the Author
[[Anthony L. McKnight II]] also known as Krispy was Born in Rochester, NY attending the “School Of The Arts” Class of 2009. He graduated with a Regents Arts diploma while studying Creative Writing and other arts. He recently became the founder of the Los Angeles Lakers Fan Club on Clubhouse. His club has hosted several celebrity interviews inside the fan club, from names such as Robert Horry, Gloria James, Mark Medina, Jovan Buha. His favorite hobby is spending a day out in nature, favorite sports basketball & football.
