Isiah Thomas Supports Deion Sanders’ Claim: Bo Jackson was a Better Athlete Than Michael Jordan

While it is common knowledge that Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan are not exactly buddies, you will be amazed at how deep the dislike runs. The two haven’t seen eye-to-eye since Game 4 of the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals — more than three decades ago. The animosity between the two still simmers, stoked every now and then when the Pistons icon undermines Jordan, sharing clips of him or other athletes talking down on the Bulls legend on Instagram

It all began when Detroit players walked off the court before the final buzzer to avoid congratulating the Bulls after they were swept in the series. The unsporting gesture did not sit right with the six-time NBA champion. Since then, there have been numerous salvos.

Recently, Thomas shared a clip of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders talking on the Dan Patrick Show. The host asked Sanders whether he or Jordan was the better athlete. The two-time Super Bowl champion asked what was Patrick’s definition of an athlete. When the interviewer responded that he wasn’t sure, Sanders quipped,

“I think an athlete has the ability to do multiple things at a very high level.” 

Patrick, insistent on getting an answer to his original question pestered the retired cornerback and rephrased the question. He asked whether Jordan could’ve played in the MLB had he stuck with baseball. Sanders expertly dodged the question and responded,

“You’re forgetting a profound guy in this conversation, Bo Vincent Jackson. If it wasn’t for Bo it wouldn’t be no Prime. So let’s start with Bo.”

Patrick then asked Sanders if Bo Jackson was the best athlete ever, and Sanders responded affirmatively. The NFL icon, who also played in the MLB for five different teams, is spot-on about Jackson.

The outfielder played eight seasons in the MLB and four seasons in the NFL with the then-Los Angeles Raiders. He’s the only athlete to play in the MLB All-Star Game and the Pro Bowl, the NFL’s equivalent of the All-Star Game.

Injuries cut his career short and prevented him from becoming a Hall of Famer in either sport. However, he was a transcendent athlete, who showcased that athletes could play in two different sports. So by Sanders’ definition, Jackson is undoubtedly a better athlete than Jordan.

The interview is from 2018 and was shared by a basketball fan page on Instagram called I Am Mega. Thomas seemingly came across it while scrolling through his reel feed or Discover page as he doesn’t follow the account.

It’s unclear whether he shared the video because he agrees with Sanders or because the Hall of Famer picked Jackson above Jordan. Regardless, there’s no love lost between the Pistons legend and the Bulls icon.

Thomas and Jordan’s Beef History

A year after that infamous moment in Game 4 of the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals, Thomas, a perennial All-Star and a Finals MVP, was controversially left off the Team USA roster for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. The Hall of Famer has claimed that he believes Jordan’s issues with him played a role in him being left off ‘The Dream Team.’

In Netflix’s The Last Dance documentary about the Bulls dynasty of the 1990s, Jordan categorically denied having a hand in Thomas’ exclusion. However, the six-time NBA champion suggested that the guard wouldn’t have been a good fit on the team and would have affected the harmony among the players. He also labeled him “an a**hole” for walking off the court in 1991.

Jordan’s comments about Thomas have only intensified the rivalry. The Pistons icon has since pivoted toward downplaying the six-time Finals MVP’s career and propping up LeBron James as the greatest ever.

The animosity between the two will seemingly never die down.