The Bad Boys Pistons’ mindset didn’t just appear during NBA games. During the 1980s and early 1990s, that was the culture of Detroit basketball, with even training sessions encouraging the raw physicality that made them so infamous. Sometimes, however, the players took it a bit too far.
Advertisement
Isiah Thomas, arguably the biggest face of that team, went after Bill Laimbeer, who was much bigger than him, in training. Although it might seem reckless and the consequences predictable, it is not surprising.
Every drill in practice felt like a real game. Elbows, hard fouls, and trash talk were all part of the grind. Nobody took it easy, and that intensity carried over to game night. The way they practiced was the way they played. They were hard, fearless, and all business.
Olden Polynice has a wild story during his days with Detroit. The former Center was the latest guest on Byron Scott’s Fastbreak program, where he shared details about the tussle that took place between Thomas and Laimbeer.
“We in practice, I don’t even know how the fight got started. But all of a sudden they start arguing each other. For some reason, I’m always involved with fights. I’m supposed to be there to help somebody,” began Polynice to set the stage.
“Oh, they’re just messing around, because we know they’re messing around, because we know they’re boys. BAM. Isiah clocked Laimbeer,” revealed Polynice just seconds later.
That’s right. Tiny little Zeke clocked the team’s muscle, who was 6′ 11″.
Polynice later revealed that Thomas had broken his hand punching his teammate. “I love Isiah. Threw the punch. Laimbeer went like this (nods forward), put his head down. BAM. Isiah broke his hand. On his head.”
That’s something that would definitely not fly in 2025, but back in this era, this was just another Tuesday.
“Here’s the craziest part about it. We had to fly out for a game. I’m sitting here on the end, Isiah’s here, Laimbeer’s here, and Joe Dumars here. We’re all playing cards as if nothing happened, and Isiah got a cast on his hand,” said Polynice.
That story just proves the Bad Boys were built differently. Their swagger and aggression perfectly capture the essence of 1980s and 1990s basketball. That is not to say there aren’t killers in the league in 2025, but in a game that has become highly analytic, with an emphasis on free throws and three-point shots, the NBA is unlikely to see a squad like this Pistons team again.
If anything, that only cements their legacy further. They did not care whether they were loved or respected by their opponents. They just wanted to be the best, and for a short time, under the leadership of Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer, they were.
