Back In The Day NBA

NBA Great Isiah Thomas Says His Era Could Compete Against LeBron James, Steph Curry

Shandel Richardson

Feb 17, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Former basketball player Isiah Thomas attends NBA All Star Saturday Night at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 17, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Former basketball player Isiah Thomas attends NBA All Star Saturday Night at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas is done with everything except the `80s.

He refused to believe the new movement of players being athletically inferior to those of today. The common opinion nowadays is his era was too slow to compete in this day. So Thomas recently expressed his thoughts via social media.

It was in response to former player Lou Williams saying LeBron James would win multiple championships if he played back in the day.

Here's what he posted on X: "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. I'm not sure he would be the best athlete in 1975 all things being equal."

It is common for yesterday's stars to argue with the new-school. The discussions are usually the same. The new players feel they are more skilled and athletic. The old players say they were tougher and more fundamentally sound.

It's a debate that always has fuel, especially because of the Michael Jordan-LeBron greatest player in league history conversation. At 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds, Jordan dominated a time when his size was ordinary. Meanwhile, the 6-8, 250-pound James is controlling a faster and stronger game.

The only certainty is this discussion will live forever. Unfortunately, we'll never get a true answer of which era was better.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

Follow our coverage and updates on Facebook

X: @BackInTheDayNBA

Published
Shandel Richardson

SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com