Isiah Thomas Shockingly Leaves Out Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal While Dropping This Era’s Greats: “Kevin Durant, Lebron James, Stephen Curry, These Three Guys..”

LeBron James has over the years set his name in stone as one of the NBA’s greatest ever players. As one of the league’s biggest stars, NBA fans often compare LeBron’s name to the NBA’s other stars. Even former NBA players follow this trend. A former NBA player recently mentioned LeBron as one of the NBA’s greats while dropping some other mega-stars out of his list.

Former NBA star Isiah Thomas acknowledged LeBron James’ name as an NBA great of the current era. He also mentioned Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry’s names alongside LeBron’s. Thomas strangely left out Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal from his list. He mentioned his last of greats while speaking on ‘The ETCs with Kevin Durant’ podcast.

Thomas said, “I haven’t said this. But you know when I look at you know historically this 15-20 year run of basketball. You know it will be defined by mainly three people; Durant, LeBron, and Curry.

He added saying, “You know, those three guys in this era are gonna be the guys that get talked about, that get compared to, who’s who, this, and that. And it’s a beautiful thing. But when you look at this era, those three guys will be, you know, the guys.” 

Thomas played his entire career at the Detroit Pistons. After retiring as a player, he coached Indiana Pacers between 2000 to 2003 when Kobe and O’Neal played for the Los Angeles Lakers. LeBron joined the Lakers in 2018.

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LeBron James and his claims to legendary NBA status

Being compared to Michael Jordan, arguably one of the greatest NBA players ever, is an honor for any player, but for LeBron James, it’s an everyday affair. Fans compare the two super stars to each other despite their difference in play styles. The duo even played in two stylistically and physically distinct NBA eras.

Despite early comparisons to Jordan since his high school days, LeBron did not crumble under pressure like many others in the past. LeBron rose to challenges as he once returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers to guide them to an NBA title after receiving criticism from fans for leaving the franchise. The NBA has named him the league’s MVP four times, also solidifying his ‘GOAT’ status.

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