Most NBA fans understandably consider either Michael Jordan or LeBron James as the greatest players of all time. Whichever camp you sit in, putting forth irrefutable facts in the debate that put one superstar over the other is paramount. A left-field argument that has come up in recent years for Jordan has been that he apparently never had to say he was the greatest player of all time. At the same time, LeBron's outspokenness is taken as a sign of attempting to convince the general public. It may be a bizarre card to play in the GOAT debate, but Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas seems to agree.
Speaking on the subject in an ESPN appearance three years ago, the Detroit Pistons legend gave some rare praise to MJ while lightly shading LeBron and other modern-day stars.
"Well, we come from an era where there was humbleness and respect. This is the era where they say, 'I am the best.' I'll even bring Jordan up in this. We have never heard Michael Jordan say he was the greatest who ever played. And this is a generation that says, 'No, I am the greatest to do it.' And they put their stamp on it, claim it. We came from an era where we didn't claim it. We let others claim it and fight about it," he said .
Is he right about Jordan?
It's hard to imagine Thomas going out of his way to say something positive about Jordan, especially since they've been feuding for what feels like the beginning of time . Still, his comments do touch on the humility and sense of peer recognition during their eras.
Thomas is correct that the best players in the world were less open about ranking themselves on the NBA's all-time leaderboard. That said, a case could be made that they also played in a less media-driven league that wasn't comprehensively covered as it is now.
What's most important, however, is that Thomas' comments aren't actually true when you fact-check them against NBA history. Jordan's not saying he thinks he is the best player in the game has been debunked, as video footage has since emerged of old interviews of him putting his name at the top of the list.
Thomas made his choice
In this instance, Isaiah may have had some favorable words for MJ and the era he competed in, but make no mistake, the Pistons legend chose his GOAT a long time ago, and it's James.
Thomas is on the record saying LeBron is the most complete player he's ever seen. He still can't comprehend where he got his basketball IQ after growing up without a solid system at home and entering the NBA straight from high school with no esteemed college program under his belt.
Despite his comments, it doesn't seem as though LeBron openly saying he's the greatest ever swayed his vote whatsoever, but he'll acknowledge MJ let his game do most of the talking.
Related: "You say MJ is the best player you have ever seen. I didn't say that" - Karl Malone once corrected an interviewer about Michael Jordan
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