Isiah Thomas Reignites GOAT Debate by Choosing LeBron James Over Michael Jordan

The debate over the greatest player of all time in NBA never really dies down, and this week it found new life thanks to a familiar voice. Detroit Pistons Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas publicly named LeBron James as the greatest player in basketball history, above his longtime rival Michael Jordan.

Thomas made these comments during an appearance on FanDuel’s Run It Back show. What started as a discussion about the « golden age » of the NBA quickly turned into a critique of how modern greatness is compared to the past.

A Direct Criticism of Jordan’s Legacy

« Here’s what I don’t understand about your era, » Thomas stated. « You’re playing with arguably the greatest player to ever play, and excuse me when I say this, but you treat him like he’s nothing. Instead of valuing your era, you go backward and say our era was the best. You know, ‘Michael Jordan was the greatest, no one will ever be greater than Michael Jordan,’ okay? Okay, and then you turn around, and in your era, LeBron James is there holding every basketball record. I mean, every single one. And you look at Kevin Durant and you look at Steph Curry, but then when you talk about the greatest, you talk about the guy who gave you some shoes. »

Thomas didn’t present this comment as just a jab. He used it to establish his central argument about how greatness should be evaluated. James, now the all-time leading scorer in NBA history, ranks near the top of almost every major cumulative category.

« Y’all treat [LeBron James] like he ain’t nothing… when y’all say who’s the greatest, y’all talk about the guy that gave you some shoes and warmups. »

– Isiah Thomas 👀

(via @RunItBackFDTV)pic.twitter.com/DnPYdxDQti

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 8, 2026

Statistics Versus Mythology

Thomas later clarified that his position isn’t rooted in personal resentment. He presented his choice as based on data rather than emotion. For him, James has excelled across eras, systems, and roster constructions without decline. Thomas pointed out that Jordan « doesn’t lead in any all-time basketball statistical category. »

Even Run It Back host Michelle Beadle admitted to Thomas that she still chooses Jordan over James because « that’s what made me love basketball, it was Michael Jordan, I’m not just going to change my mind. » Thomas acknowledged that generational attachment often determines perspective, but he remains firm in his conclusion: when production, durability, and sustained excellence drive the evaluation, the answer already exists.