Isiah Thomas: LeBron is 'the Einstein of basketball'

Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas believes LeBron James is in a category of his own when it comes to basketball IQ.

Thomas compared James to Albert Einstein in an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, highlighting the fact that the Los Angeles Lakers star went straight from high school to the NBA.

"Look at every legend's coaching tree and you can see how, philosophically, their greatness is formed," Thomas explained. "Kareem, Magic, Bird, Jordan, myself, you can look at our coaches in college and the pros and study the way we learned the game.

"LeBron James came out of high school. Who was his teacher? LeBron is a genius-type basketball mind, and that's why I refer to him as the Einstein of basketball."

Thomas also shared his thoughts on where he thinks James stands in the GOAT debate.

"We've had players dominate certain areas, but we've never seen a player that truly does it all. And he's done it, without fail, for 17 years," Thomas said. "For now, Kareem is the best that's ever done it. But by the time he's done, LeBron James will be the best we have ever seen play the game of basketball."

The 35-year-old James is currently vying for his fourth NBA championship and first with the Lakers, who hold a 2-0 series lead over the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals.