Isiah Thomas wants Michael Jordan to apologise to end their long-running beef, have a look
Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan have a longstanding rivalry that is still very intense today. Both Thomas and Jordan rebelled in many memorable NBA games throughout their iconic careers. Thomas was the top player for the Detroit Pistons, sometimes known as the “Bad Boys” due to their aggressive style of play. In 1989 and 1990, Thomas and the Pistons seized two titles.
Isiah Thomas Seeks An Apology From Michael Jordan For The Last Dance As Beef Continues To Heat Up
“The Last Dance,” a celebration of Michael Jordan’s illustrious career, gives fans a previously unseen look at Jordan’s final season with the Chicago Bulls during the height of the pandemic. The 10-episode docuseries focused on every aspect of the 1998 Bulls, from head coach Phil Jackson to co-star and sidekick Scottie Pippen. It also discussed MJ’s main competitors at the time, Isiah Thomas and the Detroit Pistons. As might be expected, MJ didn’t have positive things to say about Detroit or their star point guard at the time. Nevertheless, Jordan made a point of sharing his opinion.
Years after Jordan made that remark, Isiah Thomas finally addressed the controversy this week when he gave the following pretty scathing commentary on his friendship with Jordan:
“When I was watching the “last dance”, I’m seating there and I’m watching it with my family and I’m thinking everything is good. And then this guy comes on television and he says that he hates me and then he calls me an asshole. And then I proceed to watch a whole documentary about him being an asshole. I’m like wait a minute, time out. Until I get a public apology, this beef is gonna go on for a long long time, cause I’m from the west side of Chicago.”
What’s going on between Thomas and Jordan, then? Despite the fact that they have been at odds for many years, it is not difficult to understand the reasons behind the controversy. The Pistons, led by Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman, and Joe Dumars, used the infamous “Jordan rules” back in the day, when Jordan was at the height of his powers.
These rules basically involved using physical force and extreme strength to slow down MJ at the rim. Even though the plan worked as intended (for a while), Jordan and the Bulls came to despise the Pistons, and IT in particular, as well. When things got really bad, Jordan even forbade Thomas from joining the famed “Dream Team.”
Thomas is not the only person who finds the documentary offensive, of course. Scottie Pippen’s friendship with Jordan was essentially destroyed as a result.