NBA Legend Wants Public Apology From Michael Jordan

MJ vs. Isiah

The rivalry between Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan is one of the most famous and bitter in basketball history, rooted in the intense playoff battles between the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Thomas’s “Bad Boys” Pistons built their defensive identity around physically punishing Jordan, even creating the infamous “Jordan Rules” to limit his scoring and frustrate him mentally. Detroit eliminated Chicago from the playoffs three straight years (1988–1990), establishing themselves as Jordan’s biggest obstacle on his path to a championship. During this period, tensions grew on the court and off, fueled by trash talk, physicality, and competing leadership styles.

The rivalry reached its peak in 1991, when the Bulls finally beat the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals; Detroit’s players, including Thomas, walked off the court without shaking hands—a moment Jordan has cited as a personal insult. Their relationship never recovered. Jordan is widely believed to have opposed Thomas’s selection to the Dream Team, and although both men have commented on the issue over the years, the animosity has persisted. Even decades later, interviews and documentaries reignite debate, solidifying their feud as one of the NBA’s most enduring and talked-about rivalries.