Most players in the 1980s and 90s operated at a level of extreme competitiveness and intensity. Nonetheless, they all had great respect for each other. This was quite evident in the relationship between Isiah Thomas and Larry Bird. On the court, they were rivals, always duelling to the very last second. Off the court, Thomas looked up to the Celtics legend, crediting him for saving his career in 1987.
Advertisement
Bird and Thomas went toe-to-toe in the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals. The series extended to a win-or-go-home situation in Game 7. Boston ultimately won the series and advanced to the NBA Finals. Following the Pistons’ loss, forward Dennis Rodman commented that Bird won 3 MVP awards because he was ‘white’ and called him ‘overrated’.
Once made aware of his teammate’s statements, Thomas jokingly repeated them and said that Bird would be “just another good guy if he were black“. That didn’t go over well with the media. The 6-foot-1 guard received a tremendous amount of backlash.
However, before it reached a point of no return, Bird silenced those critiquing Thomas and putting the negative narratives to bed. Bird was certain that Rodman was the one who started it all and the buck should stop at him, not at Thomas. It also helped that Thomas personally rang up Rodman and apologised for his words.
Interestingly, even Rodman was told by his then manager Billy Diamond to sort out the matter by apologising to Bird.
“When you’ve got a guy like Rodman saying things like that, nothing’s said (afterward). His mouth is the one that got it all going. And I think that Isiah just got caught up in it. He’s sitting there and he’s frustrated and he didn’t know how to let it out and he just sort of agreed with all of it,” Bird had said via UPI.
“‘I just feel sorry for Isiah at this time. It didn’t bother me so I don’t think it really should bother anybody else.”
That gesture from Bird did not go unnoticed by Thomas. In 2024, during a special on TNT, Thomas spoke on Bird’s actions and how it saved his career.
“Larry, you had my career right at the palm of your hands,” said Thomas. “Now, the media at that time kept playing it on. And that’s where it went. But Larry did us a huge favor.”
Bird understood Thomas didn’t mean any harm with his comments. He did what he thought was the right thing to do. It had great implications on Thomas’ career and success, which followed shortly after.
Two seasons later, Thomas led the Pistons to win the 1989 NBA championship. He responded in the 1989-90 season by repeating as champions. His success is a testament to the work he put in. However, it wouldn’t have been possible without Bird.
Bird influenced Isiah Thomas to become a champion
Bird has been instrumental in Thomas’ career in many ways. Before the Hall-of-Fame guard even reached the league, Bird had motivated him to reach newer and greater heights.
Ahead of the 1981 NBA Draft, Thomas was on top of the basketball world. He had just led the Indiana Hoosiers to a National Championship. That same season in the NBA, Bird won a title with the Celtics. Regardless, Thomas knew Bird’s accomplishment was different and wanted to experience that feeling.
“I’m watching [Bird] in the NBA Finals,” Thomas said. “And I’m like, ‘I want to learn how to do that.’ I had won a championship in Indiana, and I knew in Detroit we were nowhere near that level.”
The Pistons were far from being a team ready to compete for a title. But Thomas had aspirations of reaching that level one day. He worked tirelessly to achieve that, which he eventually did in 1989 and 1990. At the heart of it all was the desire that Bird left within him.
