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“Michael Jordan Doesn’t Give a Damn”: Stephen A. Smith Has Harsh Reality Check for Isiah Thomas

Published 03/16/2024, 1:27 AM EDT

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Shannon Sharpe already said it. Now his former colleague is doubling down. Stephen A. Smith is reiterating what most of the NBA community wants to tell Isiah Thomas. Zeke recently stirred the basketball circles when he demanded a public apology from Michael Jordan. Smith, like Sharpe, is a close friend of both MJ and Zeke. And though he isn’t keen on picking sides, he’s content giving one of the side’s perspectives on this matter.

I’m down the middle, simply giving you the facts as I know them to be,” Smith told the viewers of his eponymous show. “Michael Jordan doesn’t give a damn. He doesn’t care if he doesn’t speak to Isiah Thomas in life again. He’s not fond of him. Period.” 

A few days ago, Isiah Thomas told Draymond Green on his podcast that his friendship with Michael Jordan is not salvageable after he called him an “a**hole” on The Last Dance. Smith, who maintains he’s a friend of both NBA veterans, said Jordan is not losing sleep over it.

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Michael Jordan feels the way that he feels about Isaiah Thomas dating back to their competitive days when Michael Jordan was on a come-up as a member of the Chicago Bulls and Isiah Thomas was winning championships,” Smith said. He proceeded to say that Zeke had a very impressive and successful career after the NBA. With everything on his plate, Smith thinks Thomas should take a cue from Jordan and not care about being liked.

Smith is not the only one saying Isiah is expecting too much from that apology. Shannon Sharpe, along with Gilbert Arenas, said it was never about likeability or the team. It’s just personal.

Shannon Sharpe hopes his friend, Zeke, moves on

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Shannon Sharpe said on Nightcap,You ain’t getting that apology,” referencing Zeke. He said that Thomas is holding on to a grudge for nothing and should not hold his breath for Jordan to restore the friendship.

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Gilbert Arenas instead said that Zeke and MJ’s friendship had its fair share of ups and downs, including the 1985 All-Star Game and the handshake incident. Thomas also took a jab at the Bulls for moaning about the Pistons walking away from the court. For that snub, Arenas said that Jordan had a lot more reason to take it personally against Thomas. But Jordan is instead uncaring of Thomas’ opinion.

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It’s undeniable that Michael Jordan doesn’t care much about losing a few friends in recent years. Do you think Zeke should take heed of Smith’s comments and move on?

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Written by:

Caroline John

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Caroline John is a senior NBA writer at EssentiallySports. She holds a Masters degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from a reputed university. With 8 years of experience in content writing and after judiciously covering the life of Shaquille O’Neal, she even earned an exclusive interview with the CEO of Shaq’s Big Chicken franchise, Josh Halpern.
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Edited by:

Pragya Vashisth