During his tenure as the New York Knicks president, Isiah Thomas tried to bolster the squad with key additions. Many questioned his free agency moves, but as it turns out, Zeke was strategically positioning the team to land the biggest fish in the market — LeBron James .
Thomas has a good relationship with James, and unlike other NBA executives, he was well aware that at one point, LBJ would consider leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers and exploring his options. With that in mind, Isiah signed players who had ties with LeBron in the hope of using them as leverage in the future, specifically when he hit free agency in 2010.
Among the most notable players Zeke brought to New York was Eddy Curry, who shared the same manager as James at the time. Unfortunately, Thomas left the Knicks in 2008. However, he believes he did his best to give New York a better shot at acquiring LeBron.
"If you look at the way I was trading and drafting, I had targeted LeBron's free-agent year," Thomas once revealed in 2020 via Bleacher Report. "You can look at our roster and connect all the dots."
What Thomas foresaw early on finally took place. A wide array of teams caught wind that James was parting ways with the Cavs in the summer of 2010.
Isiah was no longer with the Knicks and could only give LeBron some advice. Even if he wasn't part of the Knicks anymore, Zeke still urged LBJ to take his talents to the Big Apple .
The way Thomas saw it, James was meant for New York. Not only did Isiah think it would be beneficial for LeBron and the Knicks, but for the NBA as a league as well.
"Go to New York, it's the biggest stage. I think that the interest in him (James) in New York and in the league and everything else would just take the NBA to a higher level. I think it's the hardest place to win. I think it presents the greatest challenge," Zeke once stated in a separate discussion.
In the end, James did not choose to go to New York. Instead, he opted to join the Miami Heat . After hearing the pitches of a number of teams, Bron found the Heat's proposal to be the most feasible and enticing.
As expected, James' decision to leave the Cavs became a hot topic of discussion within the NBA community. The Cavs faithful were in an uproar, and even the team's front office heavily criticized LeBron for abruptly departing Cleveland.
Thomas didn't take James' move to Miami negatively. He understood LeBron's frustration and respected his decision. Many were also critical of him forming a "Big 3" alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, but not Zeke.
It took a while before fans stopped seeing James as a villain. He had to prove to everybody that he had made the right decision, and the only way to do that was to win a championship with the Heat.
In 2012, LeBron put an end to all the drama and led the Heat to its second NBA championship. He went on to even secure back-to-back titles by winning the chip in 2013 as well. At that point, James finally established his legacy in Miami.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 14, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
