The rivalry between the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls in the 1980s is still talked about to this day, with so much bad blood between some of the stars who played at the time. The Pistons’ collection of players known simply as the ‘Bad Boys’ made it their mission to make Michael Jordan’s life miserable, using physical force and tough fouls to try and keep one of the greatest NBA players of all-time down.
The Pistons put the beat down on the Bulls for a number of years until Jordan and co finally overcame their tormentors, but it’s fair to say there is no love lost between them – not least between Jordan and Isiah Thomas. Indeed, in The Last Dance documentary, the former went on record to say how much the Pistons’ rough play rankled him, while suggestions that Thomas failed to shake hands with the Bulls after their playoff elimination angered those on the Chicago side.
So, when Thomas was asked to rank the five best players he played against during his career, the legendary point guard unsurprisingly chose some Hall of Fame players, but raised some significant eyebrows with where he put Jordan.
Isiah Thomas Doesn’t Think Michael Jordan Was the Best Player He Played Against
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Thomas seemed to downplay Jordan’s achievements, insisting that while the Bulls icon helped dominate the league in the 1990s, the decade before saw him taste significant defeats. ‘IT’ would help the Pistons to back-to-back championships, knocking off the Bulls in the process both times, with the guard being the on-court leader of a team that featured hard-nosed players like Dennis Rodman and Bill Laimbeer among others.
When you put Jordan and his basketball team in the ’80s, they weren’t a very successful team. They just weren’t. When you talk about Jordan and his team dominating, they dominated the ’90s.
But when you put him with those Lakers teams and those Pistons teams and those Celtics teams, they all beat him. They just did. What separated Jordan from all of us was he was the first one to three-peat. But he didn’t three-peat against Magic, Larry and Dr. J.
When you look at Jordan’s time in the playoffs in the 1980s, it did feature some tough losses to the likes of Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics – he was swept by them in the first round of the 1986 playoffs despite a game that saw him score a playoff record of 63 points – and Thomas and the Pistons. Indeed, Detroit would prove to be somewhat of a roadblock in the late 80s for Jordan and co, defeating the Bulls in the post-season for three seasons in a row.
So, when Thomas proceeded to put down his top five of the toughest opponents he faced in his NBA career, it’s no surprise he appears to hold some things against Jordan. The Pistons guard would go with Julius Erving at five, Jordan at four, Magic Johnson at three, Larry Bird at two and then Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the man he considers the best player he ever played against.
Thomas’ comments about Jordan are interesting given that in 1999, when speaking to Sports Illustrated, the Pistons legend was unequivocal about where he saw the Bulls icon.
From all the players I have seen and played against, he’s definitely the best player ever. A lot of people like to argue this guy was better or this guy was better. But every player you think of there was some weaknesses and deficiencies in their game.
He has the complete package in all facets of his offensive game, and when you break him down defensively, he’s also the best defensive player in the game. … He should be remembered as the greatest of all time.
Jordan’s comments about him in The Last Dance documentary appear to have just changed his opinion on the matter, perhaps unsurprisingly so given just how personal it seemed to get. While, of course, Thomas had his own experiences in the NBA and may well have genuinely thought the likes of Abdul-Jabbar, Bird and Johnson were tougher opponents, it more so seems a slight to have Jordan so low down, given everything the Bulls star achieved and the level that he played at, even during the late 80s.
It seems unlikely now that Thomas and Jordan will ever make a reconciliation, which is unfortunate given that both players defined an entire era of basketball and made it must-watch TV. Whatever the case, Thomas’ legacy as one of the greatest point guards in NBA history remains intact, and as a two-time title winner and Hall of Famer, his place among the all-time greats is absolutely secure.
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