Michael Jordan and LeBron James have been pitted against each other for the longest time to determine who sits on the throne. Now, James is pushing at 40 and has assembled a team in an attempt to win Gold at the Paris Olympics. Many are comparing the ‘Dream Team’ with the 2024 Team USA. So, the comparison between the different generations of players has started again. And after one such comparison by a former NBA player came to light, Isiah Thomas voiced his contradictory take.

“I find it comical and laughable how some not all people think this is the first generation of basketball players that athletically could run and jump,” Thomas tweeted. “I’m not sure he would be the best athlete in 1975 all things being equal.” The tweet that he quoted was from a 37-year-old former NBA star. It was on the No Chill Podcast, where Lou Williams made that comment alongside host Gilbert Arenas.

In the podcast, the player-turned-analyst said the game changes every 10 years. The 3-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year stated that he would always have debates with his friends on the topic. “I was like ‘bro, can you imagine dropping LeBron in the 75?’ Like just drop LeBron now that you know in 75. I was like bro, he would win 15 championships in a row bruh.” Although the Lou Willimas did not drag other players for comparison, show host Arenas did exactly that.

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It was Arenas who started the debate where he disliked the entire previous generation. Giving examples of Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman and calling them a “little guard.” He stated that both were 6’7″ and both weighed 210, which wouldn’t be enough to guard the players today. However, Agent Zero, who also played the guard position, was 6’4.” Similarly to the contradictory point of Arenas, Thomas forgets about his previous opinion of LeBron James.

Isiah Thomas only considered one player on par with LeBron

In an interview in 2022, Thomas spoke about the ability of the Lakers star and said, “Based on what I’ve seen, LeBron James is the best who’s ever played.” He continued, “Not only does the eye test verify it, but then now you look at his body of work in terms of data and statistics to support it. I mean, we’ve never had a player dominate, other than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, for two decades.”

Though one can’t be sure if James would have dominated in the 75 or not. But, currently, LeBron James is leaving no stone unturned during the preparation for Gold. Team USA has won five of their games with a 100% record in the exhibition games. And LeBron is leading the team in total points scored, assists, and FG%.

Still today, many believe the previous generation of players was the best and their style of play was difficult to execute. Similarly, Isiah Thomas who was part of the generation rightfully defended his era but forgot about his previous statements. Although the statement was made 2 years apart, overlooking the best player alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is never the right idea.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.