Isiah Thomas is an NBA Hall of Famer and a two-time NBA champion. He was the leader of the deadly Detroit Pistons squad famously known as the “Bad Boys”. However, Thomas was already a certified Detroit Pistons star since he got drafted into the NBA in 1981, long before he won the franchise their first championship.

In recent NBA news, the Detroit legend gets honored with a nostalgic token on a Pistons game night.

Pistons Honor Isiah Thomas 

The current Detroit Pistons organization has finally released the new team jersey and it looks iconic. Inspired by the “Bad Boys” era, the 2023-2024 NBA City Edition Jersey pays homage to the iconic 1989-1990 team which dominated the NBA for two years consecutively.

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Being the leader of a team like the “Bad Boys” Pistons was not easy considering the team consisted of players like Dennis Rodman and Joe Dumars III.

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However, the 6’1 point guard was just as good a speaker/motivator as he was a ball handler. Known for his incredible dribbling skills, Isiah Thomas was a fearless player who attacked the basket with his drives irrespective of the size of his defender. 

Since retiring in 1994, it’s clear that Zeke’s legacy has remained safe in motor city. Recently, the $3.18 billion team honored Thomas with their city edition jersey featuring his name on the back and the iconic ‘313’ telephone area code that serves Detroit.

Through his playing style on the court and exemplary leadership skills off-court, he was able to overcome the mighty Los Angeles Lakers in the 1990 NBA Finals. This was a herculean achievement considering they went up against a prime Magic Johnson and the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. But why was such a phenomenal team called the “Bad Boys”?

The “Bad Boys” 

The league, at the time, was okay with playing the sport in a very physical manner. Many fights would break out during a basketball game because of the excessive aggression shown by players. And so, the Detroit Pistons did the same.

The Detroit Pistons (in the second half of the 1980s) adopted a physical and defense-oriented style of play. Players in the team like Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn and Dennis Rodman would ‘knock-you-down-and-answer-questions-later’ type of basketball.

This earned the team the name of “Bad Boys” and since they were winning and loved by their fans, the nickname stayed. However, many also have the opinion that the extreme bully brand of basketball that the Pistons were playing with was a little too cruel and unnecessary.

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What are your thoughts on the Detroit Pistons’ “Bad Boys” and the nostalgic token that Isiah Thomas was honored with? Comment below!