Making an appearance on Fox Sports 1 on Tuesday, NBA legend Isiah Thomas made a reasonable argument for LeBron James to join the Golden State Warriors this summer.
If an aging LeBron James wants to continue winning NBA championships, then hopping on the Golden State Warriors‘ bandwagon may not be such a bad idea, says NBA legend Isiah Thomas.
Not to be confused with current Los Angeles Lakers guard Isaiah Thomas, the retired 2-time NBA champion and 12-time NBA All-Star appeared as a guest commentator on FS1’s First Things First on Tuesday alongside Cris Carter, Nick Wright and guest host, Sarah Kustok.
Some time in the middle of the show, the table was asked to discuss where they foresee LeBron James going in the offseason should he leave the Cleveland Cavaliers to chase more rings.
The accompanying graphic at the bottom of the screen had the odds of LeBron staying in Cleveland vs. the odds of him joining the Houston Rockets, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers, but Thomas opted to go in an entirely different direction with his argument:
The premise of Thomas’ argument is simple: LeBron is heading into his mid-30’s, which indicates he’s now in the tail-end of his prime. Rather than become the long-term cornerstone on a young, developing team like the Lakers or the 76ers, LeBron should consider teaming up with Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, thereby giving him the best chance to win more titles.
ESPN’s Chris Haynes connected LeBron to the Warriors earlier in the month, claiming that LeBron would humor the reigning NBA champs in free agency were they able to clear out a max contract spot. This is an incredibly unlikely scenario, however, considering the Dubs would have to give up players such as Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston.
Unlikely, but nevertheless, possible.
LeBron, of course, addressed those rumors the very next day, denying any sort of interest in the Warriors and thoughts concerning free agency. Some speculated that LeBron’s own camp may have spread the rumor in order to incentivize the Cavs going into the second half the 2017-18 regular season.
Listening to Thomas’ analysis, however, the former Detroit Pistons point guard made a number of great points to help connect the dots.
Considering how great LeBron looked playing next to Durant during the All-Star Game, there’s no denying that pairing two of the best players in the world would create the most dynamic duo in NBA history. Throw in Steph Curry, and you have a team capable of going 98-0.
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On the other hand, it’s difficult trying to envision a Warriors team without Klay Thompson, who recently went on record to state his intention to remain in Oakland.
There’s also the option of picking up New Orleans Pelicans forward, Anthony Davis, who is much, much younger than LeBron. This route would put an end to the Klay-Draymond-Steph era, as well.
Lucky for DubNation, the Warriors organization highly believes in the notion of growing organically, so it’s in all likelihood the band stays together for at least another 2-3 seasons.
But for those thinking that LeBron would ruin his legacy were he to join the Warriors, it’s important to note that other all-time greats like Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, Gary Payton and Karl Malone each made the conscious decision at the end of their careers to team up with the best in an attempt to chase rings.
Therefore, it’s insane to think LeBron would completely rule out the idea of the Warriors as a possible destination in free agency. If LeBron is no longer in his prime, then how could he tarnish his legacy with the addition of multiple rings?
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And considering the recent trade of Los Angeles Clippers loyalist, Blake Griffin, to the Detroit Pistons, it’s become amazingly clear that NBA players do not owe any level of loyalty to any team in the league. LeBron has no obligation to stay with the Cavs, even despite their retooled roster.
“The King” was once the undisputed best player in the NBA. If he were to chase rings with the Warriors at the end of his basketball career, he could potentially narrow the gap between him and Michael Jordan, cementing the Jordan-LeBron debate as a sports mainstay forever.
To that end, I say, “Why not?”