- Isiah Thomas did not appreciate Michael Jordan calling them undeserving champions
- He says the Pistons were the only team to beat the Celtics, Lakers, and the Bulls
- Thomas reveals that was one of the main reasons they didn’t shake hands with the Bulls in 1991
The rivalry between the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls in the late ’80s and early ’90s was one of the most intense and memorable rivalries in NBA history. One of the most controversial moments of the rivalry came when the Pistons left the court in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals in 1991 without shaking hands with the Bulls, a traditional sign of sportsmanship in basketball.
This act was heavily criticized by fans and media, tarnishing the Pistons’ image and adding fuel to the rivalry. However, in an episode of The Pivot Podcast, Isiah Thomas had a justification as to why the Pistons did this.
Isiah Thomas emphasized that the Detroit Pistons were the only team that beat the Boston Celtics with Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, Los Angeles Lakers with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan.
But he wasn’t thrilled when Michael Jordan went on to call them undeserving champions:
“87,88, we all up in the mix. We lose what our people arguably say the greatest basketball teams ever. We got those teams beat and then we knocked them off. Then this dude sit up there and say, y’all undeserving, y’all bad for the game.” (49:35)
Thomas also added the national media was with Jordan and the Bulls, and they wrote them off, even though the town of Detroit put up a fight on their own.
The Beef Between Michael Jordan And Isiah Thomas
The rivalry between Jordan and Thomas began during the late 1980s and early 1990s when their respective teams, the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons, were dominant forces in the Eastern Conference.
The Pistons, led by Isiah Thomas, were known for their tough and physical style of play, earning them the nickname “Bad Boys.” On the other hand, Michael Jordan and the Bulls were rising stars in the league, aiming to dethrone the Pistons as the top team in the East.
The rivalry escalated during the NBA playoffs, where the two teams frequently faced each other in heated and intense matchups. After Thomas and the Pistons refused to shake hands with Jordan and the Bulls, they got hammered. In the aftermath of the no-handshake incident, Michael Jordan publicly criticized Isiah Thomas and the Pistons.
The rivalry extended beyond the NBA court to the international stage. When the “Dream Team” was formed for the 1992 Olympics, Isiah Thomas was notably left off the roster, despite being one of the best point guards in the league. Many speculated that Michael Jordan, who was a prominent member of the Dream Team, played a role in Thomas’ exclusion due to their ongoing feud.
Over the years, both Jordan and Thomas have addressed their rivalry in various interviews and documentaries. While they have shown some attempts at reconciliation, there still seems to be lingering tension between the two basketball icons.
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