“Michael Jordan does not want to be your friend Isiah Thomas”: When Charles Oakley called Pistons legend ‘sneaky’ and reiterated Jordan’s distaste for him

Charles Oakley once said that Michael Jordan has no interest in being friends with Isiah Thomas while also calling him sneaky. 

The feud that exists between Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas is one that has existed for nearly 4 decades. It started in MJ’s rookie season with him suspecting quite heavily that IT had orchestrated a freeze-out on him during the 1985 NBA All-Star Game. Jordan claims he merely wanted the vets and higher-ups to accept him. 

Michael Jordan would then return the favor while in cahoots with Scottie Pippen and allegedly have Isiah left off the 1992 Dream Team that won it all in Barcelona.  

Both parties refute any claim on either one of these events but the evidence that they both took place is quite damning. Between that moment in 1985 and 1992, a near half decade long rivalry between Jordan’s Chicago Bulls and IT’s Pistons ensued in the Playoffs.

Also read: “Charles Barkley really wore a mask against the Pistons and got ejected”: How a ‘Masked Charles’ went off against Isiah Thomas and company in 1992

Michael Jordan would get eliminated from the postseason 3 years in a row at the hands of the Pistons who roughed up the Bulls every single outing. 1991 was finally their year when an injured Isiah Thomas and an experienced Bulls squad met in the ECF with the former sweeping the latter. 

Charles Oakley on Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas. 

Fast-forward nearly 40 years and Michael Jordan nor Isiah Thomas have patched up their differences with one another. ‘The Last Dance’ docuseries shed light on how Jordan respected IT but hates him and the ‘Bad Boy’ Pistons to this day.

Also read: “Magic Johnson was crying and boo-hooing; we never saw him fail”: Isiah Thomas recalled being with the Lakers superstar following heartbreaking loss to Larry Bird and the Celtics

On an episode of All the Smoke, Charles Oakley, a former teammate of Jordan’s and a man who’s faced Isiah Thomas many times, took to the podcast to talk about IT. According to him, no one like Thomas because he’s ‘sneaky’ and also says that Jordan will never be his friend. 

“Mike do not want to be your friend, Isiah. I’m telling you for the 5th time, he does not want to be your friend. Stay on ESPN, keeping talking on TNT. Now he’s trying to say everybody is better than Mike; you’re not better than Mike.”[at the 33:39 mark]

Oak also told Shannon Sharpe that Jordan will never be ‘cool’ with Isiah, Charles Barkley, nor Scottie Pippen.