Isiah Thomas Championships: Exploring Michael Jordan’s Rival’s NBA Accomplishments

From 1988 to 1990, the Detroit Pistons, under the leadership of Isiah Thomas, denied bitter rivals, Michael Jordan and the Bulls, a ticket to the finals. Thomas appeared in three straight finals in those years and ended up with two rings under his belt. To realize his title dreams, Isiah Thomas stitched together some of the most remarkable performances at the highest stage.

Here is a look at how the quick-footed Isiah Thomas fared during the 1989 and 1990 finals.

1989 Finals

During the 1989 NBA Finals, the Pistons avenged an agonizing 3-4 loss against the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1988 NBA Finals. Thomas led his Pistons to a 4-0 sweep in the 1989 Finals and put up some incredible numbers. In four games, he nabbed 21.3 points, 7.3 assists, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game.

He shot 48.5% from the floor and had three performances over 20 points and six assists. Zeke’s best scoring performance during the finals came in a 114-110 win in Game 3. To help make the series 3-0, Thomas lodged 26 points, 8 assists, and 3 rebounds while shooting 9/20 from the floor.

In terms of assists, his best performance came in Game 1 when he rolled out nine assists. Apart from that, the speedy guard scored 24 points on 9/16 shooting from the floor in just three quarters. The rugged perimeter defender captured two steals in three different games. In Game 4, alongside two steals, he had 14 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds to help the Pistons lift their maiden title.

1990 Finals

To complete a quest for back-to-back titles, the “Bad Boys” defeated Clyde Drexler and his Portland Trail Blazers 4-1 in the 1990 NBA Finals. In the 1990 Finals, Isiah Thomas registered an incredible stat line of 27.6 points, 7 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game. He shot an efficient 54.2% from the floor and made 2.2 triples per game on an excellent 68% shooting from deep. 

Thomas’ best scoring performance came during the 105-99 Game 1 win. He amassed 33 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. This was one of the two instances when he had a series-high seven rebounds. In terms of assists, his best performance came in the close 105-106 loss.

IT dealt 11 assists in addition to 23 points and 7 rebounds but committed 7 turnovers in the process. When it comes to steals, he picked a series-high three steals in yet another close win in Game 4. He also contributed  32 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds in the 112-109 victory.

In Game 5, he aided the Pistons to their second title in a row after stacking 29 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals. Vinnie Johnson hit the game-winner and after the clutch win, the league crowned Isiah Thomas as the 1990 Finals MVP. At 6’1”, he remains the shortest player in league history to win one of the greatest honors.

For his career, Isiah Thomas was a 12x NBA All-Star and made 3x All-NBA First Team. He finished with an impressive tally of 19.2 points, 9.3 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.9 steals in 979 games. During 1984-1985, he was the NBA assists leader after piling up a then league-record 13.9 assists per game.

As a flashy scorer and passer, Zeke was able to dictate the pace of the game and keep the opposition’s defense committed at all times. On defense, he was adept at playing the passing lane and could disrupt the offensive flow through his quick hands and flashy lateral movement.