The beef between Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan started more than three decades ago, and they’re still not finished. On a recent episode of his podcast, Dwyane Wade recalled seeing MJ and Zeke at the NBA 75th Anniversary Team ceremony. Wade said that when players were starting to line up, the two rivals were very close to one another.
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He saw Thomas “shaking” and “talking to himself” while standing on the big stage. Calling himself “messy” in situations as tense as that, D-Wade decided to walk up to the Pistons legend to have a word with him.
He said, “I walk up, I said, ‘Zeke, what’s wrong? What’s up, bro.” D-Wade must’ve known why Zeke was talking to himself, but he wanted confirmation.
Once Thomas pointed at MJ, he knew he was right. Wade added, “So, I turn, and I said, ‘Y’all still beefing?’ They did not speak.” Meanwhile, the Heat legend saw MJ and Magic Johnson laughing together and having a great time.
That’s when D-Wade realized that there’s a reason why the older players call the new generation “soft.” Even though they’re now in their 60s, the animosity has not left their hearts. Wade said that the two legends would’ve fought at the ceremony if things weren’t so controlled. He inferred, “I think Zeke wanted to scrabble.”
The Bulls-Pistons rivalry has been one of the most intense and popular rivalries in the NBA’s history. Then the 1992 Dream Team snub added more fuel to the fire from Zeke’s end. The 2020 documentary The Last Dance reignited their feud once again as MJ called him an “a**hole” for walking out of the floor without shaking hands after a loss.
Isiah Thomas is still looking for an apology
We have seen players move past their differences, put their feuds behind them, and shake hands to make a fresh start. However, the same can’t be expected from MJ and Zeke, at least until MJ issues an apology.
During an appearance on the All the Smoke podcast, the Pistons legend said that he wants MJ to apologize to him publicly.
He said, “Don’t call me behind the scenes, apologizing, or asking your friends to apologize. You got on national television and you called me an ‘a**hole,’ and then you said you hated me…Now, if you didn’t mean it, get on national television and apologize for it.”
Zeke said that if MJ really meant everything he said, then he didn’t need to do anything about it. Knowing the intensity of their rivalry and MJ’s absence from the limelight, it’s unlikely that he will ever sit in front of the camera and issue an apology to the Pistons legend.
