Michael Jordan, Who Didn’t Let 6ft 1″ Isiah Thomas Into Dream Team, Lost 7 More Career Games to Zeke Than he Won

There was nobody in the NBA that Michael Jordan wanted to beat more than Isiah Thomas. We are only talking about a game of basketball right now.

Surely, 6ft 6’ Jordan would take 6ft 1’ Zeke inside a cage in a no-holds-barred setup any time if he got the chance back in the day. But thankfully they kept it to basketball, at least for the most part.

The rivalry between the two is not just famous because MJ was the prime conspirator in denying Thomas his spot in the dream team, but because Thomas physically tormented and eliminated Jordan and his Bulls in three straight Playoffs between 1988 and 1990.

Also read: Shaquille O’Neal’s Son Shaqir O’Neal Touches $1.1 Million in NIL Valuation Ahead of NCAA Debut 

Isiah Thomas has a terrific record against Michael Jordan in 65 career games

Arguably the best point guard after Magic Johnson, Isiah might not have any regular season MVP awards or too many All-NBA selections to show for it, but his 36-29 win record against the 6x Champ and 5x MVP should be enough to ascertain his place among the greats of the game.

Thanks to Fadeawayworld we came across this stat.

(via @FadeawayWorld)https://t.co/fogkhvz268

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) November 20, 2022

Detroit’s 12x All-Star has the second-best winning record against the arguable GOAT behind Larry Bird and Kevin McHale but if we consider the sample size, Isiah has the much more dominant record.

How MJ got back to Zeke

After losing to his Pistons in 3-straight postseasons, Jordan and Co came back with vigor in the 1991 Playoffs and thrashed the Pistons 4-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals and spoiled their efforts towards a three-peat.

Isiah’s infamous clip of not shaking Bulls players’ hands became the reason he would miss out on the Dream Team because most of the players didn’t want him on the team, especially His Airness.

MJ and a few other Bulls players have even admitted to their involvement in Thomas getting snubbed.

Thomas would not lead his team to a long post-season until he would retire in 1994 seeing Mike do the three-peat which he could not and also losing his spot in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics which no other point guard deserved more than him except for maybe Magic.

Also read: Michael Jordan’s Mother Initially Downplayed James Jordan’s Disappearance despite ‘No One Had Slept in the Bed’ Observation

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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