We’ve all heard the stories of the “Bad Boy” Pistons era. With their aggressive, highly physical playstyle, their nights often looked something like a basketball game crossed with a UFC match. It was highly criticized at the time because the team made no effort to hide their exploits.
They were bending the rules and flirting with violence — and they didn’t care who knew about it.
But what was it like to actually go against them? Charles Barkley, who geared up several times against them during his days in the NBA, gave us a little taste as to what it was like.
Sir Charles. pic.twitter.com/yk1CPTowhR
— OLDSKOOLBBALL (@oldskoolbballx) April 28, 2020
(skip to 9:35)
Needless to say, some serious preparation was necessary. Both physical and mental toughness were needed for anyone to survive a battle with them and even still — not many were able to surpass them during their peak.
It took Michael Jordan at his peak and a fully-decked out Bulls squad to finally shut their window of opportunity.
And while their reputation may be in shambles, nobody who faced them will ever forget what it was like. They were a team like no other, and their way of playing basketball is something we hadn’t seen before and likely won’t see again.
