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“Where did LeBron James get his basketball IQ from if he didn’t go to college?”: Isiah Thomas is perplexed by the Lakers superstar’s intellect without a HoF level coach like Michael Jordan had

Samir Mehdi
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“Where did LeBron James get his basketball IQ from if he didn’t go to college?”: Isiah Thomas is perplexed by the Lakers superstar’s intellect without a HoF level coach like Michael Jordan had

Isiah Thomas is confused at how LeBron James got as smart as he did without the level of coaches Michael Jordan and himself had. 

LeBron James is undoubtedly one of the smartest players to have ever taken to NBA hardwood, if not the smartest. His basketball IQ is off the chart, as he’s displayed a level of court awareness that only a handful of players have ever been able to showcase.  

The only two players playing today that could potentially rival James in this category are Chris Paul and Rajon Rondo, with Draymond Green having a case in some people’s eyes. The fact of the matter is that LeBron James has overachieved at every stage of his career. 

One thing that Isiah Thomas brings up is that he’s taken a slew of head coaches who weren’t exactly seen as championship HCs, to the NBA Finals. Everyone ranging from Mike Brown to David Blatt to Tyronn Lue had little to no experience coaching in the NBA.

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Lue of course, is a premier head coach in the league today but not without having gotten promiseland-level experience with James at the helm of it all. 

Isiah Thomas marvels at just how LeBron James has become so intelligent at the game of basketball. 

Isiah Thomas has always stated that he believes LeBron James to be the ‘greatest of all time’ over Michael Jordan and he makes a solid point that could be used to further that argument. 

“He [LeBron] didn’t go to college. He’s taken every rookie coach he’s had to the NBA Finals. So from an educational standpoint, where did this brain come from? He’s the Einstein of basketball. When you look at a Jordan, myself, Shaq, we had Hall of Fame coaches,” said IT. 

“Michael Jordan played for Dean Smith, then he goes to play for Phil Jackson, Hall of Fame, Doug Collins. He was around Tex Winter, I was around Chuck Daly. I look at LeBron James and I go, ‘Where did he get all of this?’” 

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Safe to say that the heralded ‘Chosen One’ lived up to every single ounce of expectation and hype that was hurled at him prior to entering the NBA, straight out of high school. 

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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