As the leader of the Bad Boy Pistons, Isiah Thomas is always viewed as the primary antagonist by teammates of Michael Jordan during his Bulls years.
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The Bad Boy Pistons’ style of play was marked by physicality, aggression, and intimidation, and they were notorious for their aggressive defensive tactics, which often included hard fouls and flagrant fouls.
Opposing teams and players often felt that the Pistons’ rough style of play went beyond what was acceptable in the NBA. Many believed that the Pistons were intentionally trying to injure their opponents. The Pistons were also known for their trash-talking and taunting, and they often engaged in on-court altercations with opposing players.
The Pistons’ rivalry with the Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, was particularly intense and bitter. The Bulls and Pistons met in the playoffs for four consecutive years, from 1988 to 1991, with the Pistons winning the first 3 series.
The Pistons’ rough play and tactics against Jordan and the Bulls were widely criticized. Players on both sides carry bad blood against each other, even today.
Isiah Thomas reacts to old Charles Oakley video about the animosity between him and Michael Jordan
Charles Oakley played for the Chicago Bulls during the first 3 seasons of his career. Apart from being an interior defender, rebounder and secondary scorer, Oakley doubled as Jordan’s ‘enforcer’.
The two soon developed a fast friendship, which led to many addressing Oakley as Jordan’s best friend. Even today, he’s asked questions about MJ a lot whenever he’s interviewed.
Having recently chanced upon the aforementioned video, Isiah wasted no time in responding on Twitter. His tweet reads thus:
“I remember us kicking your ass a lot, some one please check my record vs any team he played on! Sit down be Humble.”
Notably, Isiah went into depth about his relationships with the Bulls in his own interview with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. He sounded a lot more composed in addressing those questions. Trash talk of this sort, however, has been par for the course for him over the years.
What is Isiah’s record against Charles Oakley?
Oakley only played 1 series with the Bulls against the Pistons before his trade to the New York Knicks. He lost that series, before posting a 1-1 series record during his Knicks tenure against Isiah’s Detroit.
Their regular season head-to-head record stands at 19-18 to Isiah – a very slender lead.
