Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has put together a compelling argument for being regarded as the greatest player of all time, but his critics claim he isn’t as clutch as Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant were. James’ former teammate Deron Williams has picked Bryant over him to take the last shot, and Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas was asked on Run It Back on FanDuel TV whether he’d make the same choice.
“I may have to go with Kobe, but it ain’t by much,” Thomas said. “… Now, to score it or to win the game or to make the right play, I’mma go with LeBron. But if it’s just that one guy who has to make the bucket to score to win it, I’mma go with Kobe ’cause to me he’s a better perimeter shooter and can get to the basket. But LeBron, s*** you ain’t going to lose either one of them.”
You can’t go wrong with either. Bryant was a gunner who always wanted to take that last shot. You could put two to three defenders on him, and he’d still let it fly. That might not have been ideal, but Bryant was one of the best tough shot makers in NBA history and came through time after time for the Lakers over his 20-year career.
James, meanwhile, has been all about making the right play. If the 41-year-old sees the double-team coming, he is going to trust his teammate and kick it out. Not doing things the way that Jordan and Bryant did has, unfortunately, led to James unfairly earning the reputation that he isn’t clutch. His critics believe he is afraid of the big moments, which is absurd.
James has made plenty of big shots over the course of his career. He has hit eight game-winning buzzer beaters, which is tied with Bryant and Joe Johnson for the second-most in NBA history. Only Jordan has more with nine.
We also just saw James drill a game-tying three-pointer in the closing stages of regulation in Game 3 against the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. The 22-time All-Star has actually made the most game-tying or go-ahead shots in the final five seconds of playoff games since 1997, and this narrative about him not being clutch is nonsense.
Isiah Thomas Believes LeBron James Is The GOAT
Thomas has been very complimentary of James in recent years. The Detroit Pistons icon believes he is the GOAT over Jordan and Bryant.
“I’ve never seen a basketball player like LeBron James,” Thomas said. “So, there’s the eye test, and then it’s about backing it up with the numbers. As I said last time, he’s breaking every single record that’s ever been set in the game of basketball, and he’s showing up in every individual category: rebounds, points, assists, games played, baskets made. He’s all over the board. There’s never been another player in the history of the game like LeBron James. So, does that make him the GOAT? In my opinion, yes.”
Many former players tend to side with Jordan in the GOAT debate. Thomas has been at odds with him for quite some time now, which probably plays a part in his going with James. The resume is incredible, though.
James has won four titles, four Finals MVPs, four MVPs, one scoring title, and one assists title. He is also the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with 43,440 points and is setting records that are going to be virtually impossible to break.
