Michael Jordan‘s selection to the All-Star team as a rookie confirmed his greatness, which had been evident since he entered the league. Fresh off a huge deal from Nike, Michael decided to wear the ‘Air Jordan’ jumpsuit to the game, attracting a lot of envy from his colleagues. Players like Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas took notice of the spotlight and decided to spoil his debut.
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As mentioned in the book, ‘Michael Jordan: The Life‘ by Roland Lazenby, Jordan wore his brand new clothing to the Slam Dunk contest. The jumpsuit accessorized with gold chains, drew a lot of attention that was uncommon for a rookie. The veterans took offense and decided to assert their presence for the rest of the weekend.
Michael Jordan’s jumpsuit inspired conspiracy
The book describes the incident and gives accounts of the player involved in the conspiracy. Magic, Isiah, and George Gervin were the main culprits and made a conscious effort to target Michael in the game. Michael ended up hoisting only nine shots while playing for 22 minutes. Here is an excerpt from the book:
“The guys weren’t happy with his attitude up here. They decided to teach him a lesson. On defense, Magic and George gave him a hard time, and offensively, they just didn’t give him the ball. Their reaction had apparently been triggered by the rookie wearing his new Air Jordan jumpsuit at the Slam Dunk Contest. Jordan, bedecked with gold necklaces during the event, lost in the finals to Atlanta’s Dominique Wilkins. For the All-Star Game itself, Jordan had played only 22 minutes and taken just 9 of the team’s 120 shots.”
The veterans weren’t happy with Jordan’s attitude during the weekend. They felt Jordan seemed arrogant and displayed a lack of respect for a rookie. Nike’s request for Michael to wear the jumpsuit further compounded the situation, as he was already a star. He was trying to be humble but ended up feeling snubbed.
Tucker revealed that the veterans also thought the rookie seemed arrogant and standoffish. Thomas had supposedly been offended when Jordan had little to say during an elevator ride to a player meeting the first night of the weekend. “I was very quiet when I went there,” Jordan later explained. “I didn’t want to go there like I was a big-shot rookie and you must respect me.” Agent David Falk explained that Jordan had been asked by Nike to wear the prototype of the Air Jordan clothing. “That makes me feel very small,” Jordan said of the snub. “I want to crawl in a hole and not come out.”
The feud between MJ and Isiah Thomas
The 1980s saw a rivalry develop between Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas. The Chicago Bulls star garnered special attention from the Detroit Pistons, and Isiah Thomas was their leader. It is not often clear when the feud started, but the All-Star game definitely played a part.
The rivalry was on full display between 1989-1991 when the two teams faced off in the Eastern Conference Finals. The ‘Bad Boys Pistons’ went out of their way to stop Jordan, even if it meant getting physical with him on the floor. Jordan did not appreciate the style of play. He took it personally and decided not to play in the 1992 Olympics team with Isiah Thomas. They have never reconciled since.
