Former NBA star Tristan Thompson believes the biggest difference between LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant isn’t talent. It’s leadership ability, which Thompson experienced firsthand when LeBron returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014.
Speaking on the Club Shay Shay podcast, Thompson explained what LeBron’s greatest strength wasn’t simply scoring or passing. It was his instinct to identify what every teammate needed to do for the team to win, even if that meant asking stars to sacrifice their own numbers.
“I think one thing I love about Bron, and one thing that made him such a great leader, is that people always ask me to compare Jordan, LeBron, Kobe, and Bron. The thing that separates Bron from those other two gentlemen is his leadership.”
“He’s such a basketball savant. He’ll put you in certain roles because he knows there’s a method to the madness. Before Bron came back, I was averaging 12 and 10. I was getting ISOs on the block, making one or two moves, going to work with floaters. I was having a good time. Then Bron comes back and it’s, ‘Double-T, screen and roll. Duck into the paint. Guard. Make sure nobody scores on you. We’ll get you everything around the rim.'”
“As a young guy, you’re thinking, ‘Man, I was just getting started.’ I’m going at All-Stars and having great nights. I’m going against Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap and giving them the blues. In my head, I’m thinking, ‘I’m about to be an All-Star. I could be an All-Star.'”
“Then I remember Rich called me. He said, ‘Double-T, it can go one of two ways. Either you buy into what’s needed to win a championship…’ Remember, we had Kevin Love too. So now I’ve got to sacrifice. We’ve got to throw him the ball in the post. Kevin was a 30-and-20 guy in Minnesota. So I’m looking at his 30 and 20, my 12 and 10, and I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to make the executive decision, and I’m going to sacrifice.'”
“I did that. Then Rich said, ‘Each of you has to sacrifice, or you might be gone.’ And once you get moved, you don’t know what it’s going to look like. You don’t know what situation you’re going to. So I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to stay right here, enjoy this ride.’ And sure enough, it was a good ride.”
Before LeBron returned to Cleveland in 2014, there were hopes that Thompson could be an All-Star one day and was developing into one of the Cavaliers’ best young stars. Over his first three NBA seasons, he averaged 10.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 0.9 assists while becoming a reliable interior scorer. He was getting post touches, attacking defenders one-on-one, and was able to work on his offensive skill set.
But that changed when LeBron arrived and formed a Big 3 with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. LeBron saw how Thompson could be utilized best and how he could be most effective. And he wanted Thompson to buy in.
Initially, Thompson hesitated at first as he still believed in his potential. But seeing the talent around him and how far down the pecking order he was, Thompson finally bought into that role.
His scoring dropped to 7.7 points per game during the four seasons he played with LeBron, while he averaged 8.3 rebounds. His numbers might have taken a backseat, but he became one of the NBA’s best offensive rebounders and a defensive anchor.
The results speak for themselves. The Cavaliers reached four straight finals from 2015 through 2018 and captured the iconic 2016 title after overcoming a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors.
Another interesting stat supports Thompson’s point. After LeBron left in 2018, Thompson’s numbers rose again. Over the next two seasons, he averaged 11.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists, showing he was capable of putting up big numbers.
His career eventually closed with averages of 8.3 points and 7.8 rebounds while shooting 52.0% from the field. Those aren’t eye-popping numbers, but Thompson’s comments suggest they were never the measure that mattered most.
In his view, LeBron’s leadership wasn’t about helping teammates score more. It was about convincing them that sacrificing individual glory gave everyone a better chance to win the only thing that truly mattered: championships.
