Rivalries in the NBA can be extremely long affairs that outlast entire playing careers. And when there is as much vitriol as there was between Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas, there appears to be no hatchet that may be buried.
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The two stars never met eye to eye and for various reasons. Getting hacked by Thomas and his cronies as part of the implementation of “Jordan Rules” was arguably Jordan’s big reason. And a possible exclusion from the “Dream Team” fueled Isiah’s rage.
The release of the “Last Dance” documentary certainly did not do many favors to their relationship either. Their rivalry and hatred formed quite some part of the narrative driving the documentary forward.
Since then, various instances of Isiah airing out his version of their dirty laundry have surfaced. And one claim involves the NBA changing its rules to accommodate His Airness’ flying abilities.
Isiah Thomas claimed that the NBA changed how fouls were ruled for Michael Jordan.
It is common among stars of the yesteryears to call the modern iteration of the NBA as “soft”. Isiah Thomas adopts a similar perspective, but, blames Michael Jordan as one of the reasons for such change.
Thomas describes how physical the game was by talking about the blows dealt in the paint and how Jordan’s emergence as the face of the NBA prompted leaguewide changes. The league knew the hops Jordan had, and wanted to shield his way to the rim, according to a perturbed Zeke.
All of this, in retort to being referred to as an “a**hole” by Michael Jordan.
“Now, when we played, y’all want him to win. Y’all changed all the rules so he can win. I go down the lane, I get my a** beat. You see Kevin McHale slamming Kurt Rambis to the floor. You see Dr. J flying on Bird. This was how the game was being played. Robert Parish took a fist and hit Bob Lanier, boom! and was punching him in the face. But he can’t get hit! So we’re going to change all the rules, so he can dunk” explained Zeke on how Jordan made the game “soft”.
Thomas went on to talk about how the league wanting to market Jordan’s signature dunks was key to such change in how the game was played.
Granting fouls and penalizing defenders for contests and box outs is something that has gotten much more lenient over the years. And for good reason too, with the need to protect the players definitely arising. However, treating it as something ruining the game is a tone often seen in the older generation.
Isiah marking Jordan as the reason for the same in a negative light is only evidence of the same.
“There’s a lot of motherf**king something in there” spoke Isiah about his beef with Jordan.
Isiah clearly hasn’t taken lightly to what was said in “The Last Dance” documentary by Michael Jordan. From calling him and his Pistons “thugs” and “undeserving champions” to “Dream Team” jibes, the villainization of Zeke and his team clearly spewed further bad blood between the two former NBA champions.
Thomas and his Pistons had comprehensively thrashed the Bulls before they attained NBA champion status. The frustration the Pistons bore to Jordan and Co. wasn’t dismissable. And all hate probably spews from such humiliation and anger directed at them.
Both Jordan and Isiah have gone to unnecessary extents to throw abuse at each other over the years. Oftentimes, in a considerably childish manner too. Maybe it is time both superstars got over things and let this long-drawn beef take the backstage for once.
