Basketball Hall of Famer, former Detroit Bad Boy, and two-time NBA champion Isiah Thomas claims he’s ready to bury the hatchet he didn’t know existed between him and former basketball nemesis, Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan.
During an appearance at the ForbesBlk summit in Atlanta on Nov. 6, Thomas claimed that he had no knowledge of the reported bad blood between him and Jordan until he saw the 2020 documentary series The Last Dance.
“I didn’t know we had beef. I really didn’t,” Thomas said. “And if you see me in that
interview, I’m dressed in a three-piece suit. We did the interview right across the street from NBA TV. Jordan and his producer called me themselves and said, ‘Hey, we want you to participate in the documentary. Michael admires you, so forth and so on, can’t tell the story without you.'”The former Detroit Pistons team captain alleged his willingness to participate in the series stemmed from his nephew having lived with Jordan for five years when the Chicago Bulls legend first arrived in the Windy City.
“My family looked out for him [Jordan]. We all hung out together,” he continued. “So, this beef that we supposedly had, or have–I didn’t know anything about it until The Last Dance
.”Due to his recollection of their relationship, Thomas expressed he’d be willing to make peace with Jordan if an olive branch were offered.
“I don’t hate anybody. If the brother came here and sat down today and wanted to have an honest conversation — keyword, honest — I’m down for it,” the basketball champion said.
Sports fans may find Thomas’ tale confusing, as the Bulls and Pistons rivalry
was a prominent fixture of not only the 90s era of basketball but also of both players’ overall history. Thomas’ “Bad Boys” even developed a specific strategy designed to stop the six-time NBA champion called “The Jordan Rules.”During The Last Dance, both players seemed to hint at their on-court rivalry spilling into real life when Thomas was allegedly kept off the famous 1992 U.S. Men’s Olympic basketball team due to Jordan not wanting to play with him, which the latter claims never occurred. However, basketball fans and Thomas alike have long wondered how a player as dominant and skilled as the former Pistons point guard was left off of the “Dream Team.”
“I don’t know what went into that process. I met the criteria to be selected, but I wasn’t,” Thomas said in a clip from the documentary that has since become a viral internet moment.