Nothing screams Detroit basketball more than Isiah Thomas. The former team messiah is a hero for the Detroit locals, not just because of his impact on the court, but also beyond. The two-time NBA champion and leader of the infamous “Bad Boys” did not have it easy while growing up on the West Side of Chicago. His dad was the first black foreman at International Harvester. He and his family were doing well until tragedy struck one day, and his father was laid off from his job. Everything started going south from then onwards, with his mom and dad separating when he was just six.

“There was no food. However, what my mom was smart enough to do at that time was she started working and cooking for the nuns and the priests at Our Lady of Sorrows, so we were able to every now and then get a meal,” Thomas recalled during an interview with Slate’s Josh Levin. Growing up in such a harsh environment made Isiah Thomas the person he is today. One of the best point guards in the history of the NBA celebrated his 64th birthday on Wednesday. While his days of living in poverty are long gone, the Detroit Pistons legend and NBA Hall of Famer remains as humble as ever.

Of course, wishes started pouring in for Thomas, which ranged all the way from his beloved Pistons to his loyal fans. The 64-year-old veteran took to Instagram to show gratitude for the impressive life he’s lived. “Thank you for allowing me to live a life I never could have dreamed of growing up as poor as my family was. I am forever grateful and filled with gratitude,” Thomas wrote in the caption of the post, which featured a picture of him smiling, wearing a grey suit. While several celebrities and fans engaged with Isiah’s post, where he thanked everyone for allowing him to live a life he dreamed of while growing up in Chicago, one comment stood apart.

That’s because it came from none other than Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant. The two-time Finals MVP showed his love and appreciation for Isiah Thomas as he dropped a three-word comment. “Love u champ,” KD wrote.

Since Durant and Thomas are among the best players to ever grace the court, many fans loved this wholesome social media interaction. KD has a lot of respect for the Pistons legend who spent 13 years suiting up for the team. However, the respect is mutual as Isiah Thomas also keeps Kevin Durant in high regard and is one of the very few to mention the Slim Reaper’s name with the best of the best.

Isiah Thomas believes Kevin Durant will retire as a top 10 all-time player

Kevin Durant is without a doubt an all-time great. But many people refrain from mentioning his name with the best of the best. That’s because they think that he hasn’t won a championship while being the best player on the team. Well, he did join a 73-9 team that wasn’t missing any pieces, but you have to give him props for meshing in the way he did in San Francisco. But Isiah Thomas thinks otherwise. The NBA Hall of Famer mentioned Kevin Durant’s name in a recent interview with Kory Woods of ML Live.

Zeke gave his list of the best players ever, naming Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell. After naming these players, he mentioned KD’s name, giving him a special mention. “When his career is done—and I want everybody to hear me when I say this—when his career is totally over, you’re going to quietly look at what Kevin Durant has done, and the many young players he’s influenced, and all of us are going to be having a totally different conversation about Kevin Durant and his impact on the game,” Thomas stated.

Indeed, Durant has the skillset second to none, and on top of it all off he’s super versatile. One could argue he’s the forerunner of the seven-foot player with guard skills and a killer outside shot. It also makes you wonder what things would’ve been like had injuries not taken a significant amount of his prime. After winning back-to-back championships with the Warriors, Durant suffered a horrifying Achilles injury in 2019 that caused him to miss the entirety of the 2018-19 season, over 100 games in the next three campaigns.

Would he then be a clear favorite in the top 10 players of all time? We’ll never truly know. Nonetheless, it’s great to see legends like Isiah Thomas giving Durant his flowers.