NBA
Isiah Thomas on the GOAT debate: Lebron or Jordan?
The former Pistons player continues to throw darts, indirectly, but who is his pick for the NBA’s best and why?
Isiah Thomas has reignited the age-old debate: “Who is the greatest player of all time?” And the Pistons legend is clear on his answer: LeBron James.
Thomas puts LeBron as his all-time number one
“It’s impressive to look at the statistics. He has surpassed Kareem in scoring, and I believe he’s also the all-time leading scorer in the playoffs. But it’s not just that. You look at the assist rankings – I know my position in that historical list, but he’s surpassed me too.
“He’s even passed Magic Johnson! There’s never been an NBA player who has ranked so high in scoring, rebounds, and assists.”
The truth is, at nearly 40 years old (he turns 40 on the penultimate day of this year), LeBron leads the scoring charts (40,474 points, around two thousand more than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and ranks fourth in assists (11,009, just 885 behind Chris Paul). In rebounds, next season, he’ll break into the top 30 (currently 31st with 11,185).
The anti-Jordan factor for Thomas
Isiah is backing LeBron, but it’s not surprising, as the debate often includes another name, and Michael Jordan was never exactly his favourite. Thomas had to play the role of antagonist to Jordan during his playing days, a rivalry that persists decades later.
Isiah was the leader of those Bad Boys who shook up the NBA in the ‘80s, and as the point guard, he didn’t get along with the new Bulls star. He devised “The Jordan Rules” (a defensive strategy involving rough play) to try to neutralize Jordan in their matchups, but he was also seen as a sore loser. He and his Pistons teammates walked off without shaking hands or congratulating their rivals after a finals defeat. It’s not surprising, then, that earlier, in the 1985 All-Star Game, he convinced some of his teammates not to pass the ball to Jordan.
But the animosity was mutual. Isiah, born in Chicago, was once welcomed with honours every time he stepped onto the Bulls’ court, but after his falling out with Jordan, the cheers turned to boos, and MJ vetoed the point guard from the legendary 1992 Dream Team in Barcelona. According to reports, Jordan gave USA Basketball an ultimatum: “I’m not playing if he’s playing.” And so, Isiah Thomas won everything in his career except an Olympic gold medal.
It’s no wonder that the former Pistons player favors LeBron, perhaps even as a way to slight Jordan. In the documentary The Last Dance, he made his stance clear: “LeBron James is superior to Jordan because he’s taller, faster, and stronger.”