I was dominant over him until 1991: Isiah Thomas on Michael Jordan

I was dominant over him until 1991: Isiah Thomas on Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas

Isiah Thomas career went downhill after wrist injury and Chicago Bulls clean swept them Eastern Conference finals in 1991

The arrival of Michael Jordan in the Chicago Bulls changed the value and heritage for the sport of basketball in earlier times. Every player had compared himself to MJ, thinking the latter was a great competition. But there would be only a handful who would disregard any competition with Jordan. One such player is Isiah Thomas. 

Thomas claims that he had a better individual record against MJ until his wrist injury in 1991. Playing for the Detroit Pistons, Thomas was an undying rival of Jordan. Although what Thomas said are proved with facts, from 1984-85 till 1989-90, the Pistons had a clear dominance over the Bulls. Isiah’s Pistons were 20-10 ahead in the regular-season games and 12-6 ahead in the post-season. This means the Pistons won 66.66% of their meetings. 

I looked up to Magic, Karim Abdul Jabbar and Bird: Isiah Thomas 

https://youtu.be/df5wnm8Hwu4

In a recent interview, the 59-YO expressed, “Head-to-head, I was dominant over him. When our teams met, when you go back and you look at until ‘91, when I basically had a career until wrist surgery, up until then, my record against him and his team, it really wasn’t competition there. 

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“Most people think I am five years older than him, but we’re only a year and a half apart.  He just wasn’t my competition.” 

Dark clouds mounted over the 2-time NBA Champion’s career when he got his wrist injury in January 1991. He was forced to get surgery and missed 32 regular games. That marked his downfall and the regaining of grounds for Michael Jordan, who then became unstoppable. 

In the same interview, he added, “My focus was Bird, Magic, Dr. J, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Those were the guys. I don’t care what anybody says. You can go back and look at the history. Those were the guys. Moses Malone, Larry Bird… those were the guys.” 

That’s true, because Isiah had an opportunity to face many legends early in his 13-year career. So, he considered the Celtics, the Lakers and the 76ers as a tougher competition than the Bulls. It was the 91 Eastern Conference Finals where the Bulls reigned over the Pistons to mark their arrival in the NBA.

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