Years of competing and battling can often forge a bond between two athletes in sports. There have been several such cases in the NBA too. The most popular one might be the bond between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. A decade-long battle only led to the duo having mutual admiration and respect for one another. However, it isn’t rare for rivalries to take a bitter turn. And the most iconic arguably remains between Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas. But before becoming arch rivals, the Detroit Pistons legend gave MJ his flowers.

Recently, the ringleader of the ‘Bad Boy’ Pistons revealed only an apology from His Airness would convince him to squash their long-going beef. Notably, it all started with the Eastern Conference wars between the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons in the late 1980s. Chuck Daley formed the merciless ‘Jordan Rules’, devised solely to assault the six-time champion. For two seasons, Thomas and the ‘Bad Boys’ beat down the Bulls. However, Jordan finally got his vengeance in 1991, beating the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Staying true to the nickname, the ‘Bad Boys’ walked off the court even before the final buzzer sounded. Likewise, MJ and the Bulls were not impressed. This single act set the tone for the Jordan-Thomas rivalry. Fans often argue it is this feud that keeps the Pistons legend from regarding his peer as the GOAT. And history might prove it to be right.

Did Isiah Thomas call Michael Jordan the greatest?

For many years, the Pistons-Bulls rivalry had faded away. However, it was reignited by Jordan in 2020 with the release of ‘The Last Dance’. The five-time MVP heavily criticized the two-time champion for his inhuman techniques to win. Likewise, Thomas took offense to Jordan’s comments. Since then, for any GOAT debate, Thomas has sided with LeBron James. Thomas claims the rivalry with Michael Jordan never clouded his judgment. However, before calling Jordan an “a**hole”, Thomas gave him the ultimate honor.

READ MORE – “I Got the Better of You”: Michael Jordan Still Holds “Disgust” for Isiah Thomas Due to an Undeniable Truth, Claims Renowned NBA Voice

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During a past interview, Thomas agreed that Jordan was the best he had ever seen. Moreover, on another occasion, he even once said: “The thing that amazes me about Michael Jordan and about I think the rest of the players in the league is his stamina and his endurance. The thing that I wasn’t able to do, the thing that Magic wasn’t able to do, we succame to injuries. We didn’t have the type of stamina, the type of energy level that Michael seems to possess every single night…”

The Pistons legend further added, “Night in, night out he’s there performing at a level that we quite frankly just weren’t able to reach in.”

However, the tide of their relationship changed after Jordan’s conquests. Notably, many have claimed the Bulls icon as the biggest reason why Isiah Thomas wasn’t a part of the 1992 Olympic ‘Dream Team’. To this day, Thomas is unhappy with his exclusion from the side. Many believe that he arguably deserved a spot on the roster. However, the tensions and his relationships with multiple players became the catalyst for his exemption, as highlighted in the docu-series as well.

Watch This Story: Michael Jordan’s greatest duels with Isiah Thomas Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and others 

There probably will never be a time this rivalry will turn into a friendship. Their names will forever be attached as arch-rivals. While they pushed each other to their limits on the court, respect never seemed to follow along.

Do you think Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas will ever be friends? Let us know your views in the comments below.