Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas shared his thoughts on Kevin Durant’s place in basketball history after passing Michael Jordan to move into fifth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list during a recent interview on Run It Back. “Love it. I love it because he keeps elevating the game,” Thomas said.
Thomas acknowledged Durant’s scoring efficiency, comparing it to Jordan’s era. “I said to Kevin Durant, ‘If you would have played back in our era and they put you in the triple post at that mid-post area and they took Michael Jordan out and you played with Pippen and Kukoc… would he have won six championships? Absolutely.’” He cited Chicago Bulls teammates like Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and others as key pieces that would have complemented Durant’s scoring.
The former Pistons star also highlighted Durant’s shot selection in today’s game. “The most amazing thing about Kevin Durant is… I don’t think he’s taking over 16, 17 shots a night. Very rarely Durant taking 30 shots. He’s getting up 25, 30 attempts, yeah, but on 17, 18 shots, that’s real,” Thomas explained.
Thomas weighed in on the GOAT debate and offered his own rankings, placing LeBron James above both Jordan and Kobe Bryant. “I’ve never seen a basketball player like LeBron James. He’s breaking every single record that’s ever been set in the game of basketball. Does that make him the GOAT? In my opinion, yes,” Thomas said. He added, “Now, if we’re talking about MJ and Kobe… MJ was the original. Kobe was the best imitation of the original. To me, I’m going LeBron, MJ, Kobe.”
Reflecting on Durant’s scoring milestone, Thomas also emphasized the context of team support and era adjustments. “With Rodman and Pippen and Kukoc and BJ and Craig Hodges and all them around him, and the ball targeted to him every night… he can do the same thing. He’s one of the most efficient scorers to ever play this game,” he noted.
