The NBA's never-ending “GOAT” debate found new momentum this week, and it came from one of the most incredible voices in basketball history, Isiah Thomas.
“I know we're talking about Jordan, but he doesn't lead in basketball statistical categories. But there are still people who think he's the best,” Thomas said on FanDuel TV's Run It Back. “But you look at Kareem and LeBron, those guys are leading in several statistical categories. But we say other people are better, and I'm just giving you the evidence…
“That's what I don't understand about your era. You're playing with arguably the greatest player of all time, pardon me, but you're all treating him like he's nothing,” Thomas said. “Instead of cheering for your own era, you go back and say our era was the greatest. You know, 'Michael Jordan is the greatest, there's no one greater than Michael Jordan, right?' Well, then you turn around and in your era, LeBron James is sitting there holding every basketball record. I mean, every record,” he said. “And, you're looking at Kevin Durant, you're looking at Steph Curry, but when you talk about the greatest players, you're all talking about the guy who gave you the shoes.”
Isiah Thomas doesn’t understand why Michael Jordan is still on Team GOAT with LeBron 🤯
“You guys treat LeBron like he doesn't notice… When you talk about the greatest, you all talk about the guy who gave you some shoes.”@micheldebiddle | @boogiecousins | @chandlerparsons pic.twitter.com/tcaFT0lGJc
– Running Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 8, 2026
The comment quickly caused a stir, especially considering Thomas' complicated history with Michael Jordan.
This history is important. Jordan never lost in the NBA Finals, but he didn't reach one until Detroit's dominance faded.
Meanwhile, LeBron James has led multiple lineups to the league's biggest stages, often with less help, while ranking high in nearly every major statistical category.
READ MORE: Luka Doncic Can’t Believe What LeBron James Is Doing at 41
