NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas did not hold back on the legendary status of LeBron James’ career. 

In a recent appearance on the Run It Back podcast, Chandler Parsons asked his thoughts on three former NBA players who did not have LeBron in their top 5 all-time players. To put it simply, Thomas challenged them. 

“Jealousy, envy… I’m calling them out,” said Thomas. “If he ain’t in your top 5, you’re full of sh*t.” 

Thomas is known for having controversial statements in the past, especially regarding Michael Jordan. Potentially stemming from his distaste towards him for being left off the Dream Team or not, Thomas has mentioned in the past that Jordan “may have been the MVP of the league,” in the 1980s but because of his playoff loses “it was like a hype.” 

Even on this podcast, Jordan’s flu game came up, with Thomas emphasizing that “it ain’t real” and that “they (NBA) know he didn’t have the flu, but they promote it,” in regards to him having food poisoning over the flu. While he may very well be jealous and envious of Jordan, his statement regarding James should have zero controversy. 

The names of those three players weren’t directly stated on the podcast, but there are two immediate names that can be crossed off the list since they appeared on the podcast prior. 

One of those names is Tim Hardaway Sr. Appearing on the show in May, Hardaway Sr.’s Top 5 was Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, with the fifth spot being a tie between Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O’Neal. 

Another guest who shared that same sentiment was Bruce Bowen. Appearing on the podcast before Hardaway Sr., his Top 5 included Jordan, Kobe, Magic, and Bill Russell. 

Part of their disregard for James has to do with their era. For Hall of Famer Hardaway Sr., he retired just before LeBron got to the league, so his perspective is largely shaped by who he played against. 

An unfortunate theme you see with former NBA players is that they don’t want to discredit their era and the legends who came before them, yet they oftentimes disregard the current era of the league. Whether they feel they couldn’t handle the physicality or toughness of their time, they forget to acknowledge how much the game has changed and the unique skillset James has brought as well. 

Thomas’ clear-cut statement is not only a reminder for former players, but also to the younger and older generations of NBA fans. 

James holds nearly every major record in the league, such as most games played, most All-NBA selections, most playoff games won, and of course the all-time points leader in NBA history at 43,440 points, now over 5,000 points ahead of Kareem. 

Depending on how you want to measure a player's overall worth, whether it be through impact, longevity or athleticism, excluding James from the Top 5 does a disservice to the league. 

James showed no signs of slowing down in year 23, averaging over 20 points, six rebounds and seven assists a game, which is something we’ve never seen from a 41-year-old. Thomas is ultimately implying that he is a once-in-a-lifetime talent and rather than express jealousy, we should acknowledge greatness when we see it.