Michael Jordan's biggest rival Isiah Thomas retweets podcaster's emotional message about USA flag bearer LeBron James' "unfair" treatment
NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas has shown his support for USA flag bearer LeBron James with his latest retweet.
Earlier this week, Dan Le Batard shared an emotional speech on his show sounding off the negative treatment James has received throughout his career. The narrative that James will always be chasing Michael Jordan has picked up steam on social media over the last few years, and Le Batard feels it is extremely unfair.
Isiah Thomas, who has clashed with Jordan on several occasions during his playing days, retweeted Le Batard's clip where the podcast host said:
"I don't think we understand how unfair we have been to excellence. He was always chasing Michael, always chsing Michael. To see him holding that American flag...it's still excellence."
Le Batard praised James' longevity. He went on to say that fans were generally nicer to Jordan and would have been emotional seeing him raise the flag at the Olympics at 40 years old. He also called LeBron James the Muhammad Ali of this generation.
Thomas and Jordan have a turbulent relationship that dates back to their playing days in the 1980s. While Thomas got the better of his Chicago Bulls counterpart during his early years, Jordan eventually took control of the rivalry with a series of championships in the 1990s.
Isiah Thomas was left out of the 1992 USA Dream Team and there has been speculation that his rocky relationship with Jordan, and several other players at the time, was a factor in his snub.
The Michael Jordan versus LeBron James debate continues to polarize basketball fans around the globe
LeBron James and Michael Jordan are two of the greatest and most effective players in the history of the game. The debate surrounding who is the greatest of all time continues among basketball fans around the globe.
Over an illustrious 21-year career, James has been named the league MVP on four occasions. He has won four NBA titles with three difference organizations and was named the finals MVP for all four of those championships. In 2023, the 20-time All-Star surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record of 38,387 points to become the all-time leading scorer in NBA history.
Under Jordan's leadership, the Bulls dominated the 1990s, winning six championships between 1991-1998. The North Carolina native played 15 seasons in the NBA and was named the league MVP on five occasions. Jordan was a 14-time All-Star and was named the Defensive Player of the Year in 1988. He also led the league in scoring in 10 different seasons.