The rivalry between Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas has been one of the most enduring feuds in NBA history, dating back over three decades. Despite both players being long retired, the tension between them is still as strong as ever. This was on full display at the NBA 75th Anniversary Team ceremony in 2022, where Dwyane Wade witnessed firsthand how deep the animosity still runs.
Speaking on his podcast, Wade shared an amusing yet telling moment when he saw Isiah Thomas visibly shaking and talking to himself while standing near Jordan at the event.
“These older players are bitter. They don’t like each other. When they say they didn’t f**k with each other, they do not mess with each other. Like our generation? We mess with each other.”
“That’s why they call our generation gay. Our generation was soft before. Now, this generation’s soft. Like, every generation—everybody feels soft. But they don’t mess with each other.”
“So I’m sitting here, and this is a moment—we’re about to get called out, and they have us lined up. And at the end of the line, it’s the GOAT, it’s Michael Jordan. Next to him, because we’re going into position, is Magic Johnson.”
“Then there’s a space for Kobe Bryant, and then it’s Steph Curry. Then it’s myself, Isaiah Thomas, and so forth and so on. Isaiah and them don’t f*** with each other. And I’ve always heard these stories, but I ain’t never witnessed it, right?”
“So I’m sitting here next to Steph, and we just—me and Steph geeking because we like, ‘That’s Mike and that’s Magic.’ We geeking out as basketball players. And then I’m looking at Zeke… This is a moment—a celebratory moment for us. We’re about to get called on the stage as one of the top 75, baby, like, let’s go.”
“Zeke hot. Zeke got his hands like this. Zeke shaking. I think Zeke talking to himself. So, I’m a little messy. I walk up and say, ‘Zeke, what’s wrong? What’s up, bro?’ He said, ‘Back there.’ So I turn, I say, ‘Y’all still beefing?'”
“They did not speak. There was no conversation. And my guy Mike and Magic back there laughing, and I know it’s making Isiah even hotter because Isiah ain’t got his road dog with him. He ain’t got nobody to laugh at the jokes he’s saying, you know what I’m saying?”
“I’m looking at this, and I’m like, these old players are still bitter at each other, dog. They hot.”
(41:29)
During the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team celebration, the greatest players in league history were being honored at halftime of the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. Wade, who was also among the honorees, described how the players were lining up backstage in preparation for their introduction to the crowd.
Wade turned around and realized that Jordan was just a few feet away, laughing and joking with Magic Johnson. The contrast between Jordan’s relaxed demeanor and Thomas’ visible frustration was striking.
Despite the celebratory nature of the event, the hostility between the two legends was undeniable. Wade even joked that if the moment had been less controlled, Thomas might have tried to fight Jordan.
The bad blood between Jordan and Thomas dates back to the late 1980s and early 1990s, when the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons had one of the most intense rivalries in NBA history. Thomas’ Pistons, known as the “Bad Boys”, repeatedly bullied Jordan and the Bulls with their physical style of play. Detroit eliminated Chicago in three straight playoffs (1988-1990) before the Bulls finally broke through in 1991.
The most infamous moment of the rivalry came during the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals, when the Bulls swept the Pistons and Thomas led his teammates in walking off the court without shaking hands with Jordan and the Bulls.
That moment fueled Jordan’s hatred for Thomas, and he later allegedly played a role in keeping Thomas off the 1992 Dream Team, despite the Pistons guard being one of the best point guards of his era.
The feud reignited in 2020 when Jordan referred to Thomas as an “ahole”** in The Last Dance documentary. This infuriated Thomas, who demanded a public apology from Jordan. Knowing Jordan’s prideful nature, an apology seems highly unlikely, ensuring that this feud will continue indefinitely.
It’s clear that neither Jordan nor Thomas is willing to let go of their rivalry. Wade’s story shows that even at an event meant to honor and celebrate basketball’s greatest legends, past grudges overshadowed the moment.
With Jordan unlikely to ever offer an apology and Thomas refusing to let the issue go, this is one NBA feud that will never die. The NBA 75 event was supposed to be a celebration, but for Isiah Thomas, it felt like reliving an old battle—one he’s still fighting in his mind.
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