Tag: Isiah Thomas

Isiah Thomas reveals what Michael Jordan needs to do to get back on good terms

Isiah Thomas reveals that Michael Jordan needs to publicly apologize to him for the pair to get back on good terms.

[autotag]Michael Jordan[/autotag] is one of the most beloved athletes of all time, grabbing the hearts of millions through his play. That said, everyone hasn’t been Team Jordan, and with love comes hate.

Isiah Thomas, A former NBA legend who has had his fair share of battles with Jordan, shared his thoughts on how the two could repair their damaged relationship. Truth be told, these two were never that close, with rumors speculating that it was Thomas who didn’t want Jordan as an All-star his rookie campaign to Jordan allegedly being the reason Thomas was left off the dream team.

Neither rumor was confirmed, yet when you add in the physical battles between Detroit and Chicago, it’s easy to see why the two players could be at odds. According to Thomas, he believed they were on good terms until he watched the last dance, where Jordan called out the Piston star, calling him an a-hole.

Those comments didn’t sit well with Thomas, and when appearing on the Draymond Green show, he made it clear what would need to happen for the two to get back on good terms.

It will be interesting to see if Jordan gives Thomas the apology he’s looking for or if he stands by his comments. One thing is for sure, we have never seen Jordan back away from a challenge, even if that challenge is an apology.

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History says Becky Hammon’s take about Jalen Brunson’s size with a title-contending team is correct

Becky Hammon told no lies about Jalen Brunson’s limitations.

Jalen Brunson is one of the NBA’s more electric scorers. He’s a guy who can take a game over on a whim and lead the New York Knicks to a big win on any given night. But for as special as Brunson can be, there are probably limitations on how far he can actually take the Knicks in the playoffs if he’s their focal point.

On Thursday, during an NBA Today discussion on ESPN, Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon shared an incisive take about Brunson’s ceiling. As the panel debated whether the slightly above-average Knicks are stuck in Purgatory, Hammon took it a step further. She proclaimed that New York lacks the true No. 1 superstar necessary to win a championship. When Kendrick Perkins pushed back and highlighted Brunson, Hammon explained that the 6-foot-2 guard is simply too short to be the fulcrum of a team that can win four consecutive best-of-seven series in a postseason.

Honestly, based on years of NBA history, Hammon isn’t wrong. At all:

At any point in the NBA’s history, almost every single championship team is built around someone with considerable size and length.

There are a few outliers, of course — namely, Steph Curry (the best shooter of all time), Isiah Thomas (arguably the finest pure point guard ever), Dwyane Wade (an arguably top-three shooting guard all time, who was also 6-foot-4), and Chauncey Billups (more a cog in a team system than an outright superstar) — but they are all exceptions. All of them.

There is also usually a stark cut-off in height for a true No. 1. We can probably use the 6-foot-6 Michael Jordan (who won six championships with the Chicago Bulls) as the bar. If your top player isn’t at least that height, you’re probably not winning it all in June. Recent history especially says as much.

Here’s the list of best players and their respective heights on the last 10 NBA champions:

  • 2014 San Antonio Spurs, Kawhi Leonard (6-foot-7)
  • 2015 Golden State Warriors, Steph Curry (6-foot-3)
  • 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James (6-foot-8)
  • 2017 Warriors, Kevin Durant (6-foot-10)
  • 2018 Warriors, Kevin Durant (6-foot-10)
  • 2019 Toronto Raptors, Kawhi Leonard (6-foot-7)
  • 2020 Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James (6-foot-8)
  • 2021 Milwaukee Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo (6-foot-11)
  • 2022 Warriors, Steph Curry (6-foot-3)
  • 2023 Denver Nuggets, Nikola Jokic (6-foot-11)

Again, you might counter with Curry, but he is literally the greatest three-point shooter in NBA history. At the time of this writing, Curry has made over 500 more threes than the next-best on the NBA’s all-time list.

Put another way: Curry is the outlier of outliers.

This isn’t to say that Brunson can’t win a title with the Knicks.

After all, 25-point scorers don’t just grow on trees. And history isn’t necessarily empirical. The modern NBA presents a different game and a different challenge. The league is more built than ever to allow smaller players to thrive. But when combining the current landscape of skyscraper stars with history, it’s abundantly clear that New York would be better off turning Brunson into a loyal sidekick for another alpha with more size. Jamal Murray in Denver is a perfect example of that reality in present terms.

Hammon knows what she’s talking about. Brunson is talented, but the Knicks still have a lot of work to do — maybe the hardest work in acquiring a No. 1 superstar — before they’re ready to compete for a championship.

NBA stars who had a winning record against Michael Jordan

There aren’t many stars who can boast about besting Michael Jordan, widely regarded as the greatest of all time by most basketball fans. Though MJ gave everybody the business, a bunch of NBA luminaries managed to beat him more often than not during …

There aren’t many stars who can boast about besting Michael Jordan, widely regarded as the greatest of all time by most basketball fans. Though MJ gave everybody the business, a bunch of NBA luminaries managed to beat him more often than not during his early days with the weak Chicago Bulls roster in the mid-80s or when he donned the Washington Wizards jersey.

Few accomplished that when MJ and his team were at the peak of their powers – most notably a towering center from the Western Conference.

Here’s a list of stars who retired with a winning record against the GOAT:

Isiah Thomas unveils new wrinkle to historic beef with Michael Jordan

According to former Detroit Pistons star Isiah Thomas, he didn’t even know about his beef with Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan.

The Chicago Bulls have a long, incredible history, and Michael Jordan is at the center of it. He dominated the NBA for an entire decade and was one of the best players in the league for even longer than that. Throughout his tenure with the Bulls, Jordan had plenty of rivals, but none quite like the Isiah Thomas-led Detroit Pistons.

Thomas and Jordan have a history of bad blood that stems from their rivalry on the court. During the 2020 documentary “The Last Dance,” which detailed Jordan’s time with the Bulls, he discussed the rivalry and his dislike for Thomas and the Pistons.

However, Thomas wasn’t as aware of the bad blood as Jordan was. During the ForbesBLK Summit in Atlanta, he said that he learned about it during the documentary. (H/t Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic)

Isiah Thomas believes the Kristaps Porzingis trade might take the Boston Celtics over the top

Not everyone is down on the move for Boston.

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There have been a fair number of doubters regarding the Boston Celtics‘ decision to trade away veteran point guard Marcus Smart for star big man Kristaps Porzingis, but Hall of Fame point guard Isiah Thomas is not among them. Thomas believes the Celtics, with their core intact and the addition of Porzingis, could be favored to win the championship.

He draws parallels between the Celtics’ situation and his former team, the Detroit Pistons, when they made major trades to win back-to-back titles.

“Maybe Porzingis is the missing piece,” said Thomas in an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Justin Barrasso. “I see the similarities.”

“They did have to trade Marcus Smart, but the core of the team is still intact,” he suggested. “The Celtics have been knocking on the door for so long. Think about the success Tatum and Brown have had at such young ages.

Not many people have that type of success without winning a championship,” related Thomas. “They’ve been to four Eastern Conference Finals and one NBA Final. It’s pretty remarkable that they’ve been knocking on the door for so long, and they haven’t won it yet

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Isiah Thomas, an all-time Boston nemesis, measured his game vs. a Celtics great

“He was so inspirational to point guards,” said Thomas.

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A former nemesis of the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas measured himself against the standard of a Celtics great who also played the point guard position according to the man himself in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated’s Justin Barrasso.

That guard is none other than the so-called “Houdini of the hardwood,” Hall of Fame Boston floor general Bob Cousy. “When I first got into the league, Cousy was the standard,” Thomas said. “He was the one you measured yourself against at the point guard position. I still remember making this statement as a player–I said, ‘When I’m done playing, when they mention Bob Cousy’s name, I hope my name is also in that statement.’”

“He was so inspirational to point guards,” added Thomas, now a Hall of Fame point guard as well.

“He’s the one who sparked my imagination,” related Thomas. “Imagine doing that for the next generation? That’s very significant. Because of him, we had something to measure ourselves against and shoot for.”

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:23

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Isiah Thomas disagrees with Dennis Rodman’s take that Larry Bird would play in Europe today

“Bird would win two or three championships in this era,” added Thomas for good measure.

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Former NBA star Dennis Rodman turned some heads after saying that his longtime Boston Celtics rival, Hall of Fame forward Larry Bird, would be playing in Europe if he were playing today. But Isiah Thomas, his fellow Detroit Pistons alum from the “Bad Boy” era that regularly locked horns with Bird’s Celtics, disagreed on a recent episode of the “Sway in the Morning” show (h/t Basketball Network’s Shane Garry Acedera).

“My personal opinion on Larry Bird, if Larry Bird was playing today, he would still be the MVP of the league, and his team would still be winning championships,” said Thomas.

“Now, why do I say that?” he continued. “Because we just watched The Joker (Nikola Jokic), who is very similar to Larry Bird, take his Denver Nuggets team and win the championship.”

“So if I look at these two players, and I’m sayin’ that they’re similar, then Bird would win two or three championships in this era.”

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Chris Paul says Isiah Thomas had something to do with his Suns trade. If he did, that’s a problem

Isiah Thomas shouldn’t be making decisions for the Suns

Chris Paul was shocked by his trade, just like you were. The future Hall of Famer is reportedly being shipped to Washington in the Bradley Beal trade and could potentially be on the move again after that. Clearly, he’s not thrilled with it.

But what might be most shocking isn’t even that Paul was traded. It might be the people involved in the decision-making process. At the very least, it’s super confusing.

Mat Ishbia has mostly been running the team since he purchased the Suns. But, in an interview with The New York Times, Paul hinted that Ishbia is being advised by his friend and Hall of Fame point guard, Isiah Thomas.

RELATED: Who won the deal between the Suns and the Wizards?

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Paul mentioned Thomas’ name as a decision-maker multiple times in the interview.

“It’s just — it’s tough. Seriously, it is part of the business, and what you realize is that no one owes you anything. No matter how you are with them or what you do, you realize that in this business, nobody owes you anything, as it should be.

“But when it comes through and my son texts me, I realize that, you know, Mat and Isiah, I guess, just wanted to go in a different direction.”

To be clear, Thomas hasn’t actually been hired by the Suns in any official capacity.

He is friends with Ishbia, however. And when Ishbia purchased the team in February, it was rumored that Thomas would get a front office role with the team. The Suns refuted the reporting initially. Now, he seems to have some sort of role. At least, that’s what Paul would have us believe.

From an organizational standpoint, it’s just messy. James Jones is the general manager of the Suns. Ultimately, he has to make decisions for the team. But if Thomas is truly in on that decision-making process, it can muddle things up quite a bit. We saw the shadow GM workplace dynamic play out in Dallas a few seasons ago and it was disastrous.

On top of that, though, and more importantly, this completely undermines the cultural reset the Suns are supposed to be having. Robert Sarver was forced to sell the team behind allegations of workplace misconduct. Isiah Thomas might be a brilliant basketball mind, but he was also accused of sexual harassment by front-office employee Anucha Browne Sanders while working for the Knicks in 2007. The case settled out of court and both Thomas and the Knicks denied the claims, but that history doesn’t go away.

It’s hard to say what’s real and what’s not when it comes to the Suns’ decision-making these days. James Jones seems to just be along for the ride at this point. Whether that works out, in the long run, remains to be seen.

Isiah Thomas on his relationship with Boston Celtics great Kevin Garnett

Isiah always had a deep appreciation for Kevin’s talent and his impact on the game of basketball.

Fans of the Boston Celtics usually think of Hall of Fame Detroit Pistons point guard Isiah Thomas as an historical foe of the Celtics organization, but the onetime Boston nemesis has ties to the team of a more amicable sort — and not just with Jaylen Brown.

Thomas joined Cedric Maxwell to explain his relationship with Kevin Garnett. OG IT and KG have a long-standing relationship, marked by their mutual obsession with intense competition and respect. In this exclusive interview, Thomas opens up about his relationship with Garnett and the journey that brought them to where they are today.

Isiah always had a deep appreciation for Kevin’s talent and his impact on the game of basketball. He had the honor of inducting Kevin into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In this interview, Isiah shares the emotions that came with it.

To see the talk for yourself, check out the clip embedded above.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Isiah Thomas on Boston Celtics greats Red Auerbach and Bill Russell

The Pistons legend shared a story about a message he got from legendary Boston big man Bill Russell and a tale about iconic Celtics executive Red Auerbach.

Detroit Pistons Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas was one of the Boston Celtics of the 1980s’ biggest rival point guards, but Thomas developed a real respect for the Celtics during his heyday on the court, and it lasted long after he left it.

In an interview with CLNS Media’s Cedric Maxwell, the Pistons legend shared a story about a message he received from legendary Boston big man Bill Russell and a tale about iconic Celtics executive Red Auerbach, discussing his admiration for the Celtics. Thomas also talks about Boston’s reputation for starting African-American players, their influence as both rivals and teachers and Auerbach’s groundbreaking decision to make Bill Russell the first black head coach.

Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear the interview in full courtesy of the “NBA History and Storytellers on CLNS” official YouTube channel.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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