Isiah Thomas was a treasure trove of stories, and one from the vault was a classic that involved Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird who felt disrespected.
The story was about Bird feeling disrespected that only white Pistons players were assigned to defend him. “I don’t know how this gonna play with America,” said Thomas with a chuckle on ‘All The Smoke.’
“One time, we had Kelly Tripucka, Bill Laimbeer, and Kent Benson, all white guys. So we walk out on the court, and he said, ‘who guards me?’ Larry always calls me Cheesy, so he asked, ‘Cheesy, who guarding me? And I’m like, we got Kelly, Lamb, and Benson, and he’s like, you ain’t got no brothers? That’s disrespectful, you can’t put no white guys on me!”
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One would see that coming from Bird. He was the focal point of the Celtics’ offense and was one of the best white players in the history of the league. He was vocal about being guarded by white players before.
Needless to say, Thomas had some wonderful anecdotes to share, but this one clearly will be talked about for years to come.
Isiah Thomas Sheds Light On How Larry Bird And Magic Johnson Played A Key Role In Saving The NBA
The Magic Johson vs. Larry Bird rivalry contributed to the league’s popularity, and Thomas was quick to point that out when talking about the NBA in the 70s and the 80s, saying the duo saved the NBA.
“I think Bird and Magic saved the league, and I think the league took off when the Detroit Pistons showed up on the scene,” Thomas said.
“I think Bird and Magic, what the NBA was coming out of in the 70s and how the United States was for a black man in the 70s, and then Bird and Magic being on the stage in the early 80s, coming out of college… Magic coming to LA, and Bird going to Boston. They walked into a culture. They walked into a foundation. They walked into a way of being. They walked into winning.”
It did help that Bird and Magic were, in fact, rivals since their college days, and they carried it over to the NBA when they suited up for the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers, respectively.
The actual action, by the guard’s admission, was when the ‘Bad Boys’ Pistons ruled the league with their immensely physical brawl style of play. And while the two are regarded as some of the greatest players in history, some of that credit goes to Thomas as well.
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