Isiah Thomas highlights how his family made it ‘real easy’ for Michael Jordan when he first moved to Chicago
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Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas
Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan beef has become one of the NBA’s longest-surviving stories. From being friends on and off the court to being on and off the court foes, their relationship really took a 360-degree turn over the years. It went so bad that Jordan allegedly forced his will on the team to exclude Thomas from the Dream Team.
In the famous 1991 Eastern Conference Finals, the Chicago Bulls had finally beaten the Bad Boys Detroit Pistons. Isaiah Thomas and his teammates left the floor without shaking hands with Jordan. As Jordan explained it, even after his worst losses, he shook hands with every single player from the opponents.
For Jordan that was the moment, his feelings changed for Thomas. To this day he can not let go of the disrespect and bad sportsmanship Thomas had displayed on the court. He remarked in The Last Dance, “You can show me anything you want. There’s no way you can convince me he wasn’t an a**hole.”
Isaiah Thomas says his family supported and took care of Michael Jordan in Chicago
There are many pictures of Thomas and Jordan sharing a laugh on the court, but those are before the 1991 ECF. Thomas opened up about the time Jordan came to Chicago as a young guy. Isaiah was a native of Chicago and used to polish and shine shoes for money in the Westside of Chicago.
According to the Pistons legend, he made it easy for Jordan to settle down and walk on the streets. He said, “When Michael Jordan got to Chicago, I made it real easy for him to walk those streets on the Westside of Chicago.” Thomas also said that his sister and MJ’s brother hung out. “My family took care of him, my sister and his brother hung out, as friends,” said the former NBA champion. “My little nephew lived with Michael Jordan,” added Isiah.
The former NBA Finals MVP said he was basically looking after the Bulls’ great in Chicago. “I am being extremely good to this dude…I am calling his house during this period of time,” he said. Thomas added that although Detroit Pistons were known for being rough on the defensive end (which gave them the name Bad Boys), he never hit Jordan. He pointed out “when we played, you ain’t see me hitting Michael Jordan…you ain’t see me hit nobody.”
The beef seems to be growing between the two NBA greats since the release of The Last Dance. When asked about his feelings about the documentary, Thomas said, “I think it’s time for me to make my own documentary. You had the last dance; now I will have the last word. It’s time for me to tell my side of the story about some of these things that have been out there.”
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Nandjee Ranjan
(488 Articles Published)