While former Pistons guard Isiah Thomas was never on the best of terms with his rival, Michael Jordan, the true nature of their relationship wasn’t revealed until ‘The Last Dance’ documentary. To this day, Thomas is shaken by the statements made and has cut off all ties with Jordan until an “international apology” is made.
“I never knew this dude felt the way he felt until ‘The ‘Last Dance,'” said Thomas on The Draymond Green Show. “All these years you’ve been standing behind a tree throwing stones and letting somebody else take the fall for it. Had I known you felt that way, I definitely would have treated you differently.”
Isiah went on to explain an incident back in 1991 when he allegedly refused to shake hands with Jordan and the Bulls after being swept out of the playoffs. While critics initially chalked it up to poor sportsmanship, Thomas says it was nothing more than practicing age-old tradition.
“The champions, they always left the court,” said Thomas. “And then they would come into your locker room after the game and shake your hand and say congratulations. Chicago, they’re the only champion that still cries about somebody not shaking our hand.”
Due to his role as leader of the “Bad Boy Pistons,” Isiah Thomas was a controversial star for his time and it’s no secret that he was hated by Jordan and the Bulls. By the time Michael finally took down Thomas and the “Bad Boys” in the early 90s, they had a fierce and intense rivalry that managed to prevent the Pistons guard from being selected to the 1992 Dream Team.
Needless to say, the story between Thomas and Jordan goes back decades and it’s unlikely to see a resolution soon after everything that’s been said. Unfortunately for Jordan, Thomas is just one of many of his former peers who took issue with ‘The Last Dance’ and it seems the production put him on bad terms with several of his former friends/teammates.
The Last Dance Was The Final Straw
Isiah Thomas says he was completely shocked to hear Jordan’s words on ‘The Last Dance.’ Thomas had never considered him a rival to that point, but it didn’t stop Jordan from admitting he hated the Pistons legend in front of the whole world. To this day, Thomas holds a grudge against the way he is portrayed in the film.
Jordan’s former teammate, Scottie Pippen, also objected to his portrayal and started. a smear campaign for months against Jordan as a response. Scottie, who was Michael’s co-star during their dynasty, felt he was devalued in the film and portrayed as someone who held them back.
In the end, Michael Jordan made a lot of enemies from ‘The Last Dance’ documentary but it’s unlikely to be something he’ll lose any sleep over. During his career, Jordan was as ruthless as they come and he’s not on course for a change of heart in retirement.
As for Isiah Thomas, he has already laid out his terms for peace with the former Bulls star but any attempts at reconciliation have gone ignored so far. By all accounts, Michael Jordan isn’t interested in Isiah Thomas’ approval and he’s satisfied with where things stand right now regardless of how anyone else feels about it.
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