Isiah Thomas Dismisses Criticism at LeBron James for Switching Teams to Win Titles: “We Couldn’t Change Teams”

Isiah Thomas spoke about LeBron James moving teams during his career.

Isiah Thomas Dismisses Criticism at LeBron James for Switching Teams to Win Titles: “We Couldn’t Change Teams”

Isiah Thomas on LeBron James (Image credits - Firstsportz)

There is no doubt that LeBron James has established himself as one of, if not the greatest, player to ever play in the NBA. Since being picked as the number one pick in the 2003 NBA draft, James has always carried a huge load of expectations whenever he took to the court.

Not only was he a big influence on the court, but he also became an influential figure off of it as well. James spent seven seasons in the Cleveland Cavaliers before making his move to the Miami Heat. He has played for three different franchises in his career. He paved the way for players to control their futures and empowerment.

Former NBA star and Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas revealed he was happy that James switched teams and controlled his future.

We couldn’t change teams. During my period, the whole fight was for free agency. We all wanted to be able to leave, change and go to other places but we couldn’t. So when them older guys start telling you ‘I would have never changed teams’, they couldn’t. The fact that LeBron left, I was happy to see him have a type of freedom to move around.

Isiah Thomas on Crossover Podcast

Isiah Thomas has always been a huge supporter of LeBron James. He has often sided with the four-time champion in the GOAT debate and always picks him over Michael Jordan.

James’ move to the Heat was criticized by many, especially the older players. While James returned to the Cavs in 2014, he gave players the power to control their paths. And as Thomas said, players of his time were not able to switch teams as they wished.

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LeBron James won championships everywhere he went

LeBron James has played in three different franchises in his career. He is regarded as one of the most prolific franchise-altering players in NBA history. He has won four championships during his 23-year career.

After the Cavs struggled to build a championship-contending roster around James, the former number one pick decided to try fresh waters in free agency. He signed with the Heat and reached the NBA Finals four times in four years. He won back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013 and was named the Finals MVP.

James returned to the Cavs in 2014 and played for four years. They made it to the NBA Finals in all four years and lifted a historic championship in 2016. The Cavs have not made it to the NBA Finals since his departure to the Los Angeles Lakers.

He just completed his eighth season with the Lakers. While the Lakers haven’t had much postseason success in a while, he did win them a championship in 2020. He is just one of four players in NBA history to win a title with three different franchises.

LeBron James in active negotiations with Lakers on new deal

LeBron James is coming off a historic 2025-26 campaign. While his playoff run ended in the second round this year, it was his 23rd season in the NBA. He averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists in the regular season. But with his future up in the air as his contract comes to an end soon, there has been a lot of noise surrounding his future.

LeBron James in season 23
LeBron James in season 23 (Image via NBA Base/X)

NBA insider Brian Windhorst revealed that James is in talks with the Lakers to return next season.

I think the focus right now is making a deal with the Lakers. Right now he’s allowed to negotiate with the Lakers and I believe they are negotiating, I believe they’re going back and forth.

Brian Windhorst on ESPN Cleveland

It remains to be seen whether James will play for a fourth club next season, while some believe he may return to the Cavs and end his career there. But for now, it looks like the 41-year-old would prefer staying with the Lakers.

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