Some of the measures they took may have been a bit too drastic, but when you think back, it really was the heyday of the NBA. However, many years later, Isiah did admit he regretted not shaking hands with the Bulls at the time and had to pay a heavy price for that. The 'Bad Boy' Pistons were the toughest NBA team in their day. Though several years have passed, the two icons of the game still share a very hostile relationship. The Bulls/Pistons/Michael Jordan/Isiah Thomas rivalry is still alive and well and we’re here for it.Īlso read: “Michael Jordan feeds off the crowd booing him”: Bulls Legend disclosed how he used the crowds’ boos to become the best in NBA
The Pistons defeated the Los Angeles Lakers for the organization's first championship. The Bulls legend as rumors are to be believed, played a major role in Isiah not being part of the 1992 Dream Team that went to the Olympics. The Bad Boys were largely responsible for the demise of the great Lakers and Celtics teams of the '80s. Jordan still holds grudges against Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, which was evident in his docu-series the last dance as well.
Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, and Mark Aguirre showed their last act of defiance by not shaking hands with the Bulls team and would make their way straight to the locker room.Īfter getting swept in the ECF, the Pistons refused to shake hands with the Bulls #TheLastDance /lR98JSa0nv During Game Four, with 7.9 seconds remaining on the clock. This statement by Jordan made things worse between the Bulls and Piston, who already had tensions between them.īulls would go on to sweep the Pistons. Jordan led the Bulls averaging 29.8 PPG, 7.0 APG, and 5.3 RPG on a 53.5% shooting from the field.ĭuring the series, there was an instance where Jordan, while throwing shots at the Pistons, called them unworthy champions. Detroit Pistons 1989-90 Roster and Stats. The 1991 Detroit Pistons were as deep as ever, with eight players making. The 1991 ECF would have the Bulls dominate and sweep the Pistons 4-0, to everyone’s surprise. They were The Bad Boys, the rough and tough two-time defending NBA champions. Though Pistons had the edge as they were up 2-0 in the last two meetings. The Bulls would face the Pistons in the eastern conference finals for the third time in a row in 1991.
MJ would continue to put in the work with his will to lead and succeed. Past this point all belief that the Detroit Pistons aren't the best sports team of all time must be suspended. Michael Jordan swept Isiah Thomas and the Detroit Pistons 4-0 in the 1991 ECFĪt a time when everyone felt the Bulls would never be able to get past the Detroit Pistons. Bad Boys Backbeat is a biased analysis of Pistons basketball. However, the tide turned in 1991 when Michael Jordan won his first-ever NBA championship. But they knew they were gonna win, and I think we’ve had that same attitude.The Pistons defeated the Bulls 3-years consecutively, from 1988-1990. Kevin McHale would talk more trash than anybody you’ve ever seen, and Bird as well. They just knew that we were gonna fold and they were gonna come back and beat us. “When I was growing up, the Celtics would come in and… they knew they were gonna beat us no matter how we’d start the game. In the same documentary, Michael credited Chicago’s winning mindset to that of Boston’s. In that moment, Jordan reduced the Pistons to thugs, not as champions who had to plow their way through the toughest road in a golden era. This iteration of the adidas Forum High features the iconic black and orange tooling that symbolized the Pistons reign during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Using the similar mentality and Larry Bird and co., the Bulls definitely found the successes they were looking for. Following the highly successful release of the Snipes x adidas Forum 313 Day, the duo has returned with yet another adidas Forum, this one honoring the Detroit Pistons’ glory years. In a 1993 documentary called “ Air Time”, Mike explained how he along with his teammates were inspired by the 80s Celtics’ mindset. “Boston Celtics would come in and beat us no matter how we’d start the game”: Michael Jordan A couple of years later, Jordan revealed the mindset he and his team played with during that championship season. While Thomas believed that Jordan was the best in his generation, the likes of LeBron James and Kevin Durant aren’t far behind. It was the time in NBA when the dominance was shifting to Michael Jordan and co. However, the Bulls finally got the better of the Pistons in 1991 and went on to win their maiden title. Thomas was a part of the Detroit Bad Boys Pistons that won two consecutive Championships in 19.