Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas has already publicly declared Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James as his GOAT.
The best and most “complete” player I have seen in my lifetime is @KingJames on and off the floor. He passed the eye test and the numbers confirm what my eyes have seen in every statistical category. #Goat let it be known! pic.twitter.com/wb2iuLoQ4M
— Isiah Thomas (@IsiahThomas) October 8, 2020
The Detroit Pistons legend later doubled down on his claim while speaking with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson on the Heavy Live with Scoop B Show. The original IT explained that what makes James' overall body of work both on and off the court makes him the greatest basketball player ever.
“So when you look at what the ‘GOAT’ means for us in terms of lifting us up in the society, speaking for the voiceless in our community; you can be a champion on the floor and you can be a champion off the floor. So what he’s done statistically – the numbers don’t lie. But also what he’s done OUTSIDE of the playing field, that doesn’t lie either. So you know, in terms of being a complete basketball player in terms of passing, dribbling, shooting, rebounding… no one has done what he’s done statistically in EVERY single category. Now we’ve had players to dominate one category. But we’ve never had a player that’s come in and dominate it in so many statistical categories across the board. And that’s LeBron James.”
Thomas gave a thorough explanation of how those that came before him, such as Muhammad Ali, Bill Russell, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, to name a few, impacted society by using their voice for social change. James has been one of those at the forefront of the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement in the United States. Likewise, The King has been urging everyone on social media to exercise their right to vote in the U.S. elections.
Obviously, people will take Thomas' assertion with a grain of salt. This is because the person that many others still widely consider the GOAT, namely one Michael Jordan, was Thomas' fierce rival back in his playing days.
Nonetheless, it's hard to dispute Thomas' claims when it comes to James' impact in society. The four-time NBA champion has certainly done a lot in being an agent of social change and using his voice to do so. And it helps his case that he's really good at this basketball thing, too.
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