Widely regarded as the greatest player in NBA history, Michael Jordan might also be the pettiest, a trait he demonstrated throughout his Emmy-winning documentary, The Last Dance, throwing shade at everyone from sidekick Scottie Pippen to archnemesis Isiah Thomas, ringleader of the hated “Bad Boys” Pistons of the late 80s.
Jordan’s hostility stems, at least in part, from the 1985 All-Star Game, when Thomas led a concerted effort to “freeze” him out, reducing the young Bulls phenom to moving scenery as teammates refused to pass him the rock. Tensions between the bitter rivals continued to escalate, reaching a boiling point when Thomas and other members of the Pistons departed for the locker room without shaking the Bulls’ hands at the conclusion of the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals.
That must not have sat well with Jordan, who many suspect played a role in Thomas not being chosen for the “Dream Team” the following summer. Thomas’ Olympic snub still eats at him 30 years later with The Last Dance, released during the early COVID pandemic in 2020, opening up plenty of old wounds.
“When I was watching The Last Dance, I’m sitting there and I’m watching it with my family and I’m thinking everything is good,” said Thomas in a recent interview with Cosmote TV, a Greek streaming provider holding NBA broadcast rights. “And then this guy comes on television and he says that he hates me and then he calls me an a**hole. And then I proceed to watch a whole documentary about him being an a**shole.”
The 10-part ESPN doc certainly gave glimpses into Jordan’s psyche, frequently losing his temper on teammates while taking even the smallest slights personally. While you could argue, in defense of Jordan’s less redeeming qualities, that his maniacal competitive drive was actually among his greatest strengths and necessary for his development as an athlete, others would portray him as a cruel egomaniac. Though far from a sympathetic figure himself, Thomas isn’t necessarily wrong in his assessment of Jordan, rightfully questioning our collective hero worship of a vindictive bully who, by all accounts, was a nightmare to be around.
“I’m like wait a minute, timeout,” Thomas continued. “Until I get a public apology, this beef is going to go on for a long, long time, because I’m from the west side of Chicago.”
Thomas urged his Twitter followers to read the interview for his full quotes, implying he wants it to get on Jordan’s radar. Whether Jordan gives Thomas the satisfaction of acknowledging his criticism is anyone’s guess, though it’s clear their competitive flames still burn bright as ever with little hope for reconciliation.
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