Isaiah Thomas and LeBron James aren't two names that you would be used to hearing together at this point of the season. While both players used to play with each other, it's clear now that the two stars could not coexist well enough for their partnership to last.

Now playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, Thomas teamed up with James for a short while with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Initially, many believed that the two would thrive together. However, in the 14 games that Thomas played, he struggled mightily on the court.

Granted, Thomas was still trying to recover from his injury and adapt to a new system, but his defensive inefficiencies were exposed and opponents kept on attacking the hapless Thomas. He also became a vocal critic of many of the Cavs' processes.

Related NewsArticle continues below
A shadowy player in a LA Lakers jersey in the middle. Have LA Lakers player LeBron James on one side and LA Lakers player Luka Doncic on the other, starting center trade
The starting center Lakers must acquire after Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle shaming
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) controls the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half in game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena.
NBA Draft prospects blatantly disrespect Lakers’ Luka Doncic

The Cavaliers decided to trade Thomas at the deadline, which made many fans believe that James and Thomas would have bad blood between each other. That turned out to be quite the contrary on Sunday night when the Lakers and Cavaliers met each other for an inter-conference showdown. Before the game began, Thomas and James hugged each other, signaling that there is no animosity between the two.

James isn't one to hold a grudge against his former teammates. Against the Celtics, Irving and James openly embraced, even though it became apparent in the off-season that both players didn't see eye to eye. This interaction, though, shows that both players have moved on and are focused on playing good basketball for their respective teams.