Thanks to "The Last Dance," Michael Jordan's rivalry with Isiah Thomas has been well-documented. Thomas played for the Bad Boy Pistons who always seemed to get in Jordan's way whenever he went for a championship. Thomas was able to win two titles before Jordan went on his infamous first three-peat although to this day, there still seems to be quite a bit of tension between the two.
During an appearance on FS1's Speak For Yourself, Thomas spoke about his rivalries and made the bizarre claim that he never felt like MJ was his real competition. As he explains, he was more concerned about the Celtics and Lakers than he ever was about the Bulls.
“When we were all young and healthy – from 84 to 90 – the numbers speak for themselves. He wasn’t really my competition. My competition was Bird and Magic, trying to catch the Celtics, trying to catch the Lakers. Chicago at that time, and Jordan at that time, from 84 to 90, before my wrist surgery, he just – that wasn’t my competition,” Thomas said.
These comments seem pretty bizarre when you consider just how much his team used to bully Jordan on the court. It's clear the Pistons saw MJ as a threat but all these years later, he refuses to admit it.
If there is one thing for certain from "The Last Dance," it's that MJ and Thomas will never reconcile.
Charles Barkley Puts The Bad Boy Pistons On Blast
There is no love lost between Charles Barkley and the infamous Isiah Thomas-led Detroit Pistons.
Thanks to the ESPN docuseries on Michael Jordan called "The Last Dance," the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons are now being brought back into the National sports conversation. At the time, the Pistons were one of the toughest teams in professional sports and were making opponents extremely upset on a nightly basis. While Jordan's struggles with the Pistons are well-documented, Charles Barkley had his fair share of issues with the Pistons, as well.
During an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, Barkley went off on the Pistons and accused them of not being as tough as they let on. As he explains, there were very few players on the Pistons who actually knew how to fight and that the majority of the team didn't want the smoke with him.
“You know what’s really funny about that Pistons team? Only two guys on that team could fight: Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars,” Barkley said. “Rodman couldn’t fight, (John) Salley couldn’t fight, (Rick) Mahorn couldn’t fight, (Bill) Laimbeer couldn’t fight. I mean, Vinnie Johnson and James Edwards could fight, but the main four guys I just mentioned, none of them could fight a lick.”
These claims are easy to make now although back in the late 80s and early 90s, it's clear that Barkley had a tough time against Isiah Thomas and company. Even 30 years later, these wounds still run deep.
Isiah Thomas Expresses Disappointment Over "Dream Team" Snub
Isiah Thomas was left off the "Dream Team" in 1992 and the pain has never subsided.
Isiah Thomas continues to speak out about "The Last Dance" and his role in the documentary. Last night was particularly hard for Thomas as he had to relive the time he walked off the court against the Chicago Bulls after being swept, without shaking hands. In fact, it is believed that Michael Jordan felt so disrespected by this move, that he ended up making sure Thomas never got a spot on the United States Dream Team which won Olympic Gold back in 1992.
Today, Thomas spoke about not making the "Dream Team" and noted that if his actions in 1991 were truly the reason behind his Olympic snub, he is even more disappointed now. Clearly, Thomas has built up a lot of pain inside of him over these past few years, and "The Last Dance" is making him relive all of it.
"If I'm not apart of the Dream Team because of a lapse in emotion in terms of not shaking someone's hand, if that's the reason why I didn't make the Dream Team, then I am more disappointed today than I was back then when I wasn't selected," Thomas said.
Hopefully, Thomas and Jordan can one day sit down and talk things through, man to man. The entire basketball world would benefit from some sort of reconciliation.
Isiah Thomas Says "The Last Dance" Treats Pistons Unfairly
Isiah Thomas felt like the Chicago Bulls deserved as much criticism as the Detroit Pistons.
Isiah Thomas continues to be a major focal point in sports coverage these days thanks to his role in "The Last Dance." Michael Jordan hated Thomas and the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons who were constantly knocking him down and abusing him in the paint. During an episode of the documentary last night, the Pistons' aggression was on full display and young basketball fans were beginning to understand why Jordan lost so much in his early years. In fact, fans were quite critical of the Pistons' tactics.
Today on First Take, Thomas defended his former team and said that while he admits his team was very aggressive, you could easily say the same things about the Chicago Bulls. In fact, Thomas believes the Bulls modeled their defense after the Pistons and that's why they won so many championships.
"It was okay when Rodman was rough ... You always show [the Pistons] knocking somebody down ... but you never show the other team," Thomas said. "You make it sound like the Chicago Bulls didn't have Charles Oakley."
Earlier today, Thomas apologized for walking off the court without shaking hands with MJ after being swept in the 1991 playoffs. Clearly, Thomas is trying to make amends for the past while also doing right by his former teammates. Now it's simply up to the fans to decide who is in the right here.
Isiah Thomas Apologizes To Detroit For Infamous Pistons Walk-Off
Isiah Thomas had a lot to say about the infamous Pistons walk-off that was highlighted on "The Last Dance."
Isiah Thomas and the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons had a pretty negative reputation around the NBA during the late 80s and early 90s. For those who don't know, this Pistons team played a lot like the Philadelphia Flyers of the 1970s. The Flyers were a hockey team known for using fighting and physicality as a way to win games and the Pistons translated that style onto a basketball court.
During last night's episode of "The Last Dance," we got to see a series between the Chicago Bulls and Pistons in which MJ swept Thomas is four-straight. In the decisive game, Thomas and his teammates infamously walked off the court without shaking hands which led to a lot of criticism. Almost 30 years later, Thomas and his Pistons are still made fun of for their actions that night and today on ESPN's "Get Up," Thomas apologized for all of it.
“The fact that I have to sit here today — and Jalen (Rose), Chris Webber, Steve Smith, who I work with — the hurt that those guys feel for me, having to be in this moment. I apologize to them in Detroit for all of us in this moment,” Thomas explained.
While the apology must certainly be nice to hear, we're sure Michael Jordan would prefer to get the apology directed at himself and in-person to boot. Jordan seemed pretty upset with Thomas in the documentary and all of these years later, it's obvious that bad blood still exists between the two.
Isaiah Thomas Addresses Fans Confusing Him With Isiah Thomas
Isaiah Thomas continues to be confused with his namesake throughout the airing of ESPN's "The Last Dance."
If you have been watching ESPN's Michael Jordan documentary called "The Last Dance," then you would know that Isiah Thomas of the Detroit Pistons is a major part of the series. Thomas was one of Jordan's biggest rivals out on the court and his bad boy Pistons were notorious for roughing up Jordan in ways that would simply not fly in today's NBA. During Episode 4 of the series, the Pistons' antics were on full display, and fans were pretty shocked at how Jordan was being treated.
MJ fans were so hasty to send some hate Thomas' way that they started to confuse him with the Isaiah Thomas who is in the NBA right now. The more current Thomas spells his first name differently although the pronunciations are the same, thus leading to a whole bunch of angry messages in Isaiah's mentions. The former Washington Wizard was getting plenty of hate last night and made sure to address the fans who were getting him mixed up with the Pistons legend.
When you think about it, this is a pretty hilarious mix up although it's clear why Isaiah Thomas would be just a tad bit annoyed by it all. After all, if you're a diehard NBA fan, you should be able to tell the difference between the two.
Michael Jordan’s Struggles With The Pistons Leads To Twitter Antics
Michael Jordan had a rough time battling the Detroit Pistons back in the day.
Michael Jordan's struggles against the Detroit Pistons back in the late 1980s are well-documented. Of course, Isiah Thomas and his teammates kept Jordan from making it to the finals, that is until 1991 when Jordan finally broke through and won his first title. Jordan still has a huge grudge against Thomas and the Pistons and luckily for basketball fans, this feud was on full display in the latest episode of "The Last Dance."
Throughout the episode, we got to see the Pistons and their special "Jordan rules." Basically, whenever MJ had the ball, the Pistons players would rough him up to make sure he could never take flight. This made it almost impossible for Jordan to score and led to an immense amount of frustration.
For many young fans, this was the first time they were being made aware of the Pistons' bold strategy. With this in mind, it shouldn't be all that surprising that some hilarious memes were created on Twitter as a way to make light of the situation. Many of these memes showcased a man being beaten up for ganged up on, with users saying the culprits were just like the Pistons.
Needless to say, "The Last Dance" has been an incredible source of inspiration for meme enthusiasts and we can't help but laugh at all of it.
Stephen A. Smith Delivers Carmelo Anthony Pistons Hot Take
Stephen A. Smith theorized about what would have happened had Carmelo Anthony been drafted by the Detroit Pistons.
Carmelo Anthony is one of the most polarizing players in the entire NBA. For years, he has been known as a gifted scorer who hasn't had very much success when it comes to the postseason. After leaving the New York Knicks, Melo played for the Oklahoma City Thunder and eventually, the Houston Rockets. His career seemed all but over at the start of the season until the Portland Trail Blazers through him a lifeline. Now, Melo is in the midst of a resurgence and fans are loving it.
The star recently claimed that he would have won two NBA championships had he been drafted by the Detroit Pistons instead of the Denver Nuggets. On ESPN's First Take, Stephen A. Smith gave his own analysis of the situation. As he explains in the clip below, Melo would have won at least one title although he thinks a second would have certainly been possible.
Smith makes an interesting point as the Eastern Conference was a tad bit weaker at the time. Melo had to get through Kobe Bryant and the Lakers as well as the San Antonio Spurs in order to make the Finals which during the mid to late 2000s, was an impossible task.
It's not good to dwell on what-ifs but it's certainly fun to think about what could have been, especially in relation to careers and the narratives that follow them.
Detroit Pistons’ Christian Wood Tested Positive For Coronavirus
Detroit Pistons' Christian Wood has tested positive for the coronavirus.
Detroit Pistons' very own Christian Wood is the third NBA player to test positive for the coronavirus. The NBA was one of the first American professional sports leagues to take precautions canceling the season amidst the COVID-19 crisis after Utah Jazz players, Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell contracted the life-threatening disease. The Athletic's Shams Charania was the first to reveal that Christian Wood tested positive for the coronavirus utilizing his Twitter to inform the masses, claiming that Wood is currently showing no symptoms and is in good spirits. 
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
The Detroit Pistons have confirmed that one of their players has tested positive for the virus but did not reveal the player. In a written statement, the Pistons said:
"A player on the Detroit Pistons, who is under the care of team medical staff and in self-isolation since Wednesday night, was tested for COVID-19. A preliminary positive result came back on March 14. The health and safety of our players, our organization, those throughout our league, and all those potentially impacted by this situation is paramount. We are working closely with team medical staff, state and local government and public health officials and the NBA on reporting. The individual will remain in isolation and under the care of team medical staff."
Prior to Rudy Gobert's initial diagnosis, the Utah Jazz have faced off against the Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, and Toronto Raptors, ten days prior to Gobert's detection. All of the players and staff from each team were directed to self-quarantine.
As for Christian Wood, the 24-year-old is having a career year averaging 13.1 points per game on 56.7% shooting while nabbing 6.3 rebounds per game. He had a career night notching 32 points on 14-18 shots against the Philadelphia 76ers this past Wednesday (March 11).
Hopefully, the 6'10 forward will be able to fully recover and continue his blossoming NBA career as one of the league's up-and-coming young talents.
Check out the highlights from his career-high game in the video provided below.
Lakers Tried Trading Alex Caruso For Derrick Rose: Report
Los Angeles Lakers reportedly tried to use fan favorite Alex Caruso as part of a Derrick Rose trade package.
The Los Angeles Lakers' third-year point guard Alex Caruso has established himself as a fan favorite this season and someone that LeBron James view as the true GOAT. Even though his stats may not reflect it, Caruso's energy off the bench on both sides of the ball has made him a valuable piece of this Lakers' roster in their pursuit of an NBA title.
In fact, the Lakers organization thinks so highly of The Carushow that they tried to use him as a centerpiece in a deadline deal for highly coveted veteran point guard, Derrick Rose.
Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, the Lakers offered to trade Caruso and draft compensation to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Rose, but the Pistons rejected the deal. Charania reports that the Pistons placed a "high value" on Rose, which was apparently more than the Lakers were willing to pony up. Detroit elected to hang on to D-Rose, but he recently suffered a Grade 2 knee sprain that will keep him out of action for several weeks, and potentially the remainder of the year.
After striking out at the deadline, Los Angeles ultimately settled for free agents Markieff Morris and Dion Waiters to give them some added depth as they gear up for the post-season.
