Michael Jordan hates Isiah Thomas, but the Chicago Bulls icon believes the Detroit Pistons legend is the second-best point guard in NBA history.
“I respect Isiah Thomas’ talent,” Jordan said in The Last Dance documentary. “To me, the best point guard of all time is Magic Johnson and right behind him is Isiah Thomas. No matter how much I hate him, I respect his game.”
The Bulls and Pistons had a fierce rivalry during the Jordan-Thomas days. Detroit beat Chicago in the 1988, 1989 and 1990 playoffs and created the “Jordan Rules,” a four-step plan to prevent Jordan from scoring.
Former Pistons coach Brendan Malone explained what the “Jordan Rules” were in “The Last Dance.” Detroit didn’t want Jordan to go baseline and wanted him to go left instead of right. The Pistons were also going to trap Jordan every time he got the ball in the post and knock him to the ground when he got into the paint.
The Bulls swept the Pistons in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals after losing to their rivals in the playoffs for three straight years. Before Game 4 ended, Thomas and the Pistons walked off the court and didn’t shake the Bulls players’ hands.
Ever since then, it is believed Jordan and Scottie Pippen lost any respect they had for Thomas.
Jordan and Pippen got revenge on Thomas by playing a significant role in Thomas not making the 1992 Dream Team. Jordan and Pippen didn’t want Thomas on the roster and got their wish.
Team USA won the gold medal in Barcelona. Jordan admitted in “The Last Dance” that the chemistry was great since Thomas wasn’t on the team.
“The Dream Team, based on the environment and the camaraderie that happened on that team, it was the best harmony,” Jordan said. “Would Isiah have made a different feeling on that team? Yes.”
Pippen wrote in his book, “Unguarded,” that he and Jordan would not have played for “The Dream” if Thomas was on the roster.
“Much has been written over the years about why Isiah didn’t make the team,” Pippen wrote. “What is true, without a doubt, is that a number of guys wouldn’t have participated if he had been selected, Michael and me included. Newton and other members of the committee knew how we felt. Not even Chuck Daly, the team’s head coach — and Isiah’s coach since 1983 — lobbied for him. What does that tell you?”
Jordan and Thomas will likely never be friends. The NBA greats didn’t talk to each other in Cleveland in 2022 during the top 75 players ceremony.
Pippen and Jordan won six championships together on the Bulls, while Thomas won two rings on the Pistons. All three players are in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Thomas finished his career with averages of 19.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 9.3 assists, 1.9 steals and 0.3 blocks. He made 12 All-Star teams and five All-NBA teams and won the 1990 Finals MVP Award.
Meanwhile, Jordan has career averages of 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 0.8 blocks. He won five MVPs, one DPOY, six Finals MVPs, three steals titles and 10 scoring titles.
Looking for the latest NBA Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow Hoops Wire on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NBA News and Rumors for all 30 teams!
