Episodes 3 and 4 will run Sunday and will spotlight the rivalry between the Bulls and the ‘Bad Boys’ Pistons, a dynasty that topped Chicago in three consecutive playoffs en route to winning championships in 1989 and 1990 before falling to the Bulls in 1991.
Tag: Isiah Thomas
“During this period of time we’re all …
“During this period of time we’re all starving for sports,” Isiah Thomas said. “You really don’t know what the other teams’ internal workings are like. Getting a peek behind the curtain to see what their team was like internally and some of the conflicts that they had, how they resolved them, how they led, all those different things are things that I just find interesting and was curious about, and now getting a chance to view it, I’ve enjoyed it, actually.”
It was a heated rivalry known for “The …
It was a heated rivalry known for “The Jordan Rules,” the nickname given to the defensive strategy the Pistons used to slow Jordan down. “I’ve said this before, and I’ve been on record saying that we have a great deal of respect and admiration for Michael Jordan in terms of the way he played and what he’s done for our game,” Thomas said. “The competition that we had on the floor was just that. It was (just) competition on the floor … We tried to win. And really, that was it. It was no hidden agendas or anything like that. It was my team against your team, and let’s see who wins.”
To support doctors, nurses and others …
To support doctors, nurses and others who are on the frontlines fighting the coronavirus pandemic, the Detroit Pistons united former and current players together to sing a rendition of a famous Ben E. King song. The Pistons released a video on Wednesday of the former guards — Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton and Dave Bing — along with current guard Derrick Rose singing “Stand By Me” with the Detroit Youth Choir. The video featured each singer performing remotely, in accordance with Michigan’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” guideline.
How much did Michael Jordan outscore fellow NBA legends in their matchups?
Even if not the top scorer in NBA history, Michael Jordan is probably the best scorer we’ve seen on a basketball court. It was not very often that an opponent (or a teammate) put more points on the board than him. Actually, only one player outscored …
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Even if not the top scorer in NBA history, Michael Jordan is probably the best scorer we’ve seen on a basketball court. It was not very often that an opponent (or a teammate) put more points on the board than him.
Actually, only one player outscored MJ in their matchups during his Chicago years. And then he did it again when His Airness was a member of the Wizards…
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One of those highly anticipated …
One of those highly anticipated interviews is with Pistons Hall of Fame guard Isiah Thomas, who led Detroit to back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990 — the two seasons preceding the Bulls’ first three championships. The “Bad Boys” Pistons teams that included Thomas, Joe Dumars, Dennis Rodman, Rick Mahorn and Bill Laimbeer are renowned as the group that Jordan and the Bulls had to overcome to achieve their greatness. Thomas is looking forward to the release of the documentary series and is hoping that more than the typical narrative about the “Bad Boys” Pistons team is presented.
“We competed and beat their team but …
“We competed and beat their team but that doesn’t mean we didn’t respect and admire (Jordan) as a player,” Thomas told The Detroit News. “I was in a few (interviews) and I’m looking forward to it also. I tried to be as accurate and truthful with the statements and comments. I hope the full content of what I was trying to express in the admiration we all had for him as a player is shown from my comments. All of us who talked about him talked about how we admired how great a player he was — and we couldn’t stop him other than to double- or triple-team him.”
“(ESPN) asked me about the Dream Team …
“(ESPN) asked me about the Dream Team and this is what I said: MJ himself, I’ve never heard him say he didn’t want me to play. I’ve heard people say it for him,” Thomas said. “Every time I’ve been around (Jordan), he’s been gracious and honorable, and I respect his word. “We were all pretty brash when we were young and none of us bit our tongues. I can’t find or see anywhere that he said it. I’ve seen where other people said what he supposedly said. I can’t find one quote where anybody said anything negative about me — and believe me, I’ve checked. All I can do is take the man at his word.”
Thomas spoke about his initial …
Thomas spoke about his initial blueprint for the Raptors franchise. “The first guy I scouted was Kevin Garnett,” he told me. “I wanted to make him the first pick for the Toronto Raptors franchise.”
Thomas thought Garnett would still be …
Thomas thought Garnett would still be available with the seventh pick in the 1995 NBA draft because he felt that other teams would be hesitant to draft a skinny kid straight out of high school. Shortly before the draft, his old friend Kevin McHale (who was then VP of the Minnesota Timberwolves) called to ask what he thought about the young Garnett. Thomas told McHale: “If you don’t draft him, I will.”