@flashisfreshtv How often is he ACTUALLY mentioned tho? Lmao im old enough to have seen the man play df is your point ? U just made the dumbest comment on earth. U cant tell me this mans name isnt MENTIONED enough! Left off the dream team and his team or his NAME is barely mentioned when talking about the greatest teams and players. All we ever hear is celtics lakers or bulls . Or we skip them and jump right into these current players .
@flashisfreshtv i just wanna make sure you actually read my comment and used your brain lmao. Do you actually think IT goes on TV and argues his case on why he thinks him and his team is widely underrated for no reason? Lmao cause if he has to doit himself then i think its obvious they dont get enough credit...which is my whole point dumb dumb lol
m Khan ....well, i guess you're referring to MJ when you say "GOAT". Right? Well, Isiah's teams DID handle MJ's teams in 3 out of 4 playoff series. So MJ wasnt really an obstacle like that for Zeke. S'all.
@Jay Thompson he was battling with injuries and retired early in 1994 he had the archilles injury the one that even kd experts are saying he wont be the same kd.
@Jay Thompson it was and he struggled for those last 4 years b4 retiring..do u realy think a player retires just because of 1 injury?....his body broke down leading to the downfall of the pistons...the first time jordan defeated them they only won 50 games and isaiah was struggling he had a pair of floating lingaments detarched in his arm in 1991 the year that pistons began being weaker.The guy had 148 turnovers a league high because of the arm that year and the pistons could not threepeat.
@Jay Thompson isaiah was injured on 91 get ur facts right....jordan defeating a hobbled isaiah is nor an accomplishmet and him crying about the pistons style yet he took the coach who implemented that syle showed how he envied them
@Jay Thompson yet he was hobbled and ur star still crying about people walking off which was common back then..I dont see anybody bashing the celtics for doing the same..and if nobody wanted Isaiah why did they unanimously vote for him to be their representative only Jordan,pippen and bird because he defeated them
Yeah, Laimbeer's perimeter game is surprisingly very good. That alone looks like all that was needed to easily handle the Bulls. He looked like he could camp out there and hit them pot shots all night. I'd be bitter too if I was MJ. Laimbeer is made out to look like a talentless bully who has to injure people to compete. Watching these games though paints a far different picture.
@@austonsmith536 You're absolutely right MJ had to take his lumos that's why after 3 srmtraight yrs of getting bounced out the playoffs by the Pistons they finally beat them in 91 and we all know the rest of the story 6 rings!!
@@austonsmith536They make it seem like they won back to back championships, by beating everyone up. I'm from Michigan and I watched every game aired on TV. They were really good and their defense was really tough. Everyone played rough back then and got away with it. every since the malice at the palace, they've labeled those Detroit teams as thugs. Not like Jordan was mr. nice guy! it was just a different game back then.
Love MJ as a basketball player but Haller Famer Isiah Thomas is special that move he did on paxson around the 5min marker was amazing and his passing handles dude had amazing basketball iq and talent geez.
Isiah is still probably the best ball handler in the history of the NBA. He actually used to put on Globetrotter like dribbling clinics. The guy was amazing
Boy I tell you what, NO OTHER TEAM was able to psychologically affect Jordan. However, this rivalry was what elevated Jordan's game--playing against an intelligent player such as Isaiah.
Zeke's first 4 year's in the league was some of the best basketball played by a guard in NBA history! Hall of Famer, and we watched every game here in Detroit from 1981 to 1994
Thanks for this video! People need to know how good 11 was for Detroit. Jordan is the GOAT but Isiah was no slouch either. He was top 5 in his era and beat everybody along the way. You want to know why Jordan really hates Zeke this is why he was always in the Bulls face and didn't let up until the end of the Pistons championship run.
Looks like Zeke's playmaking ability was far greater than MJ's back then. Its like MJ actually had to study how Isaiah was able to make the right decisions in traffic, create something out of nothing while running faster than everyone on the court. (Younger MJ used his athleticism to bail him out, most of the time GUESSING the right move instead of CONTROLLING the game with awareness like the many godly gifted hall of fame point guards) Zeke being able to outsmart the defense, create open shots by driving and scoring in traffic on dudes far bigger and stronger made him look like a top 5 all time player. Zeke had Magic Johnson type point guard skills, he just wasnt Johnson's size. He made that whole Piston team into arguably the greatest team ever to lace them up. The disrespect is well-deserved. They should've never been as great as they were. I'd be pissed off too if I was the other great NBA hall of famers. Those Piston teams could run anyone and everyone crying off the court. Zeke stripping MJ's pockets for the easy fast break bucket says it all.
Isiah Thomas mentality was deadly he was an assassin with an incredible will to overcome any challenge that he had to face. Natural God given skills second to only Magic Johnson controlling the tempo of the game. Definitely top 3 all-time.
Thomas was the mentally toughest player and player with the most heart that I ever saw....at 6'1" 180lbs he would control a game with a bucket, a rebound, a steal, a trap, a sweet pass.....and he was all over the court. He was a joy to watch, sheer moxie, hustle and heart. My own boy is knicknamed "Zeke" after Isiah. None finer.
@3:48 - you'll never see a player above 6'4" cover ground this quickly in the halfcourt. In fact, even among players 6'4" or under, I think only Westrbook and prime DRose could make that claim. Just blazing fast change of direction and acceleration. Crazy moves/shot by Isiah under duress at 5:06. Ridiculous acceleration and shot by Jordan at 6:26. Incredibly fast spin through the trap by MJ at 7:00. And then at 7:19, the GOAT quickness on the baseline and then not needing any space/time/knee-bend to get MAJOR elevation for the facial. The best leaper off a quick step EVER.
I m Malaysian.was student in detroit fr 1987 to 91 during that great bad boys era. Zeke was definitely 1 of the best player along wt magic,bird n Jordan.No disrespect to Stockton...but no way he is not as comparable to zeke. Piston had been to 3 straight nba final n back to back champion..got exhausted only then the bull overcame them.
MR Boduke what’s your point? I’m not disputing that. I’m questioning why would he mention this particular random regular season game in The Last Dance?
Thomas was a beast, and the bulls weren’t really good until the 90’s. Back then the Celtics, lakers and pistons ruled. Once those guys phased out and got old is when mike took over with the bulls! Thomas was the real deal !
the piston's weren't really old, zeke and rodman were 30 yrs old, dumars was 28.. the team average was 31 yrs old. rest of the bulls just got really good, not just mj.
@Brixaa it didn't matter. zeke could've been healthy and having an mvp season but there's no way they're beating mj's bulls again. this wasn't the same bulls they were previously bullying. it wasn't just a one man team anymore.
This is my favorite basketball rivalry. I grew up in this era I definitely know who Isaiah Thomas is. I love MJs energy at this time of his career although he was phenomenal throughout all of it.
MJ and the Bulls don’t win 6 let alone 3 without going through Detroit first 💯 as much as they hated each other they owe that to the Pistons and MJ acknowledges it. We also know that the league flat out stole one from Detroit in ‘88 with that BS call on Laimbeer, giving Kareem those unworthy free throws after Isiah’s legendary performance on one foot, so those Pistons should have definitely three-peated before the Bulls. They were more than poised to. You could even argue 4 in a row but Bird got that late-game steal fair and square in the ‘87 ECF so I won’t take it there, but the Bad Boy Pistons are one of the greatest teams of all time and definitely the greatest defensive team ever. 2 of the sweetest titles a team can have against all adversity.
@Jalen Thomas : The league is all about who stays healthy. No doubt MJ can be thought of us the greatest of his era. The point is, without Larry birds back injury and Isaiah Thomas’ wrist injury which crush their super teams; the bulls won’t have the first 6 championship easily.If your super player can’t play no more,you are done.
@@yaweli2968 The Celtics were done anyway as the Pistons had figured them out. Then the Bulls improved beyond Detroit. Jordan was Jordan. Everyone who watched basketball or are knowledgeable of the era recognizes the Pistons' greatness. However, their run was their run. Those arguments mean little because I can easily say if Jordan had better teammates earlier in his career, the Bulls may have won or been legitimate Championship contenders.
@@yaweli2968 Detroit pistons was fouling ass mofos, they couldn't stop Jordan so they fouled him constantly, We all watched the whole Full games, Defense is only a precept of Fouling all game every game, That's defense,According to you, , Considering, Jordan was hit so many times in the Air, Flagrant Fouls, Personal , Mad fouling, they Detroit was slow , That's why they grabbed pushed n Slapped like btches
PSA - Please correct these fools that never watched Zeke play but call him dirty because they snack on cheap propaganda. Isiah took exponentially more punishment than he ever dished out. More than any baller I ever saw. He literally bled for those titles. Repeatedly. And never cared. However, when it comes to dirty play, that Bad Boys front line is a different story. Rodman, Laimbeer and Mahorn? Overkill.
Thanks for putting this out. I keep hearing criticism as to their style of play. Yes, they were tough, but anyone can look at this and see that Isiah was a dominant player. DET earned their victories.
Simply because Bird , Jordan, Pippen Clyde and other team members didn't want him there because the pistons were dirty player that did more fighting and commiting dirty fouls than playing basketball.yeah Isiah Thomas could have been a great player if he wasn't the fuel behind the dirty plays of the piston he was a bad sportsman and he always hated Jordan because Mj took his shine plus Isiah was from Chicago and Chicago loved Jordan and Isiah always hated that.
A lot of what people perceive to be Isaiah Thomas' disrespect for Jordan is because Thomas doesn't fear or revere Michael Jordan--and there's a good logical reason for that. Thomas is one of the few players who played against Michael Jordan that EVER got into Jordan's head and, ironically, Isaiah would be the reason that Jordan was inspired to overcome this weakness and become invincible on the court.
Shyheme Eszco? He may have played more against Bird and Magic, but they played each other four times in the playoffs -3 to the pistons and 1 to the bulls. How on earth is that not considered competition?? Even MJ, possibly the most competitive person ever put on this planet, recognized Isaiah and the BBoys as a rival (even crediting them for the Bulls later success). How could Isaiah, in turn, not consider Michael legitimate competition? Is it cause MJ finally spoiled their party and handed them their own ass in a sweep?
It's not a competition if it's one sided...how can I consider u competition if I'm constantly beating you??? Isiah considered Bird and Magic cuz he had to get over that hump.. eventually Jordan did by beating the Pistons...so ur not saying anything I haven't seen...and ok the Bulls swept the Pistons in 91 but Isaiah hold the overall record in the Wins and Losses department...so let's not get too crazy #BadBoys
Shyheme Eszco Lol I wasn’t trying to make it personal or anything. I just looked up the statement you’re referencing, and it’s definitely a classic Bulls V Pistons comment lol. I thought Isaiah meant that MJ wasn’t really his competition in terms of the eras in which they played- cause Isaiah was around several years earlier than Mike, and Mike several years later than Isaiah. But I can see now that he was just taking a shot at MJ. And it’s true that the Pistons straight up out played the bulls from 84 through 89-90. But to just dismiss a team that swept you, and took the series to game 7 the year before is most definitely salty IMO.
How is it salty wen Jordan himself said he still to this day hates Isaiah...that's why Isaiah made the comment...how in 2020 u still mad...so who's the real salty one?..
Shyheme Eszco and of course I’m not saying Jordan hasn’t made his fair share of salty statements towards Isaiah and the Pistons either. I guess that kinda stuff is bound to happen with big time athletes like them.
Please upload some regular season games. Hear are some classic regular season games. March 1, 1989, Jazz @ Pistons; March 29, 1989, Pistons @ Jazz; March 31, 1989, Pistons @ Supersonics; April 7, 1989, Pistons @ Bulls.
Isiah, first, than Jordan changed theirs organization around. Turning a losing club to a winning one its a greater achievement than being champion with an organization that is historically a winner.
I think MJ's disgust for Isaiah originated from this time with the "Jordan Rules" etc the way the Piston's played the Bulls hard and the fact that initially the Bulls just couldn't overcome the Pistons.
@@kamfisher1714 It's recordings on MJ admitting that the league talked to him about IT. Ain't no recordings on Magic; most of them say they weren't asked. In his book, Magic just said nobody in the locker room wanted to play with Isiah, not only a lie, but a distraction argument. The decision had already been quietly made by the league and Michael Jordan.
Time stamp: about 3:49 and see what speed, elevation, and hang time look like. No one floated like Air Jordan, a human being at its finest representation of gift and talent.
Isiah was a fantastic player. As well as, Dumars. I’ve heard and read a few times over the years that Jordan wouldn’t have the recognition he has without Nike and his sneaker brand. His sneakers wouldn’t be jack had he not performed on the court how he had! The man was tremendous on both ends of the floor! Jordan wanted to become the best two way player of all time and he succeeded that task.
The only reason they hate Detroit is because they’ve been kicked 3 consecutive years. Knicks played almost with the same physicality years after against Bulls but they didn’t complain. Bad Boys also had a great influence to the game and it was very necessary
@:edson raice , and the Pistons begun real bullying to blow up their lead against opponents so refs don’t rob them for favorite NBA teams like the lakers and Celtics. People actually underrated how good the Pistons were in the late 80’s.
I KNOW I WENT TO THE SAME HIGH SCHOOL. I WAS THERE WAS HE WON HIS 1ST CHAMPIONSHIP IN 89 HE CAME BACK TO THE SCHOOL I WAS A JUNIOR. WE BOOD THE SHIT OUT OF HIM!
When basketball mattered and the NBA was at its most competitive, the Bulls didn't win. They had to wait until the Celtics, Lakers, Sixers and Pistons were done before they won. If they were that great they would have won when it mattered.
MJ was the best player in the world by 1988, his team just sucked, just like LeBron was already the best in 2008, but could not win because his team was terrible.
@@johnsonmark65 And the Pistons in 1981 weren't great either. The point is that each team that won had to go through a process to win. When the Pistons finally beat the Celtics in 1988 to go onto the Championship series, they shook hands with the Celtics. Those two teams respected each other even though they fought incredibly hard against each other. In 1991 when the Bulls finally beat the Pistons to go onto the Championship series, they disrespected the Pistons and that is why the handshake didn't occur. Jordan and Phil Jackson denigrated the Pistons team and claimed they were better for basketball than them so they deserved to win. That disrespect angered Isiah and most of the rest of the team and so they didn't stick around to shake hands. The media blamed them and called them poor sports but no one bothered to ask why the Bulls disrespected them. Why they couldn't acknowledge them for teaching them how to win. That is the difference in my mind between those two teams.
I liked stockton but can people stop with the stockton was better than Isiah or even acting like it was close. Isiah was better than stockton. he was good a passer but had extra gears. mj was a beast too but isiah was a beast too. there he is the reason he is mj's number rival. isiah is in the same air as magic and Oscar as greatest pg of all time. those are the top 3 pg
The difference between Stockton and Isiah is that Isiah had the ability to rise to the occasion and completely take over and dominate a game passing defending and scoring. Isiah had the desire and skill to beat the very best the game had to offer mentally and physically. He completely dominated the game unbelievable will to win.... unstoppable.
Is it a coincidence that Mike said same thing about his brother Larry? Is it possible, that they are talking about the same person? And thus - Mike and Isiah are also brothers???
If they hadn't blown 87 and been robbed in 88 they'd a won 4 straight in prime bird magic and MJ. Beat all the goats at least once and would've beat the third twice if wasn't robbed
These Pistons teams created MJ to be the GOAT , he didn’t cry for a trade . Or join up with others he lifted weights , went harder the next year and swept 🧹 them boys off the court. No handshakes needed 😂
All those years of futility were erased by the "Bad Boys". I started going to Cobo Hall when I was 13 in 1960, with my cousin on the bus. We saw so many Pistons games and while we had some great players, we never had a great team. The Pistons and those great players on the team made me proud to be a life long fan.
People forget that great 1980 rookie class of Larry Bird (champion), Magic Johnson (champion), Bill Cartwright (champion), David Greenwood (champion) and Sidney Moncrief.
@@nothingnothing7648 they weren't the only rookie stats in that class. People forget prior to Cartwright's knee injury and pre Patrick Ewing, he was the 3rd best rookie in that class.
@123slasher.16 people who watched that Era won't ever forget that. The 3rd round of that draft produced champions. Bill Laimbeer, Earl Cureton, my good friend Terry Duerod(R.I.P. big bro), James Donaldson and Mark Eaton were multiple time all stars.
Isiah Thomas haters need to check their history. IT dominated Jordan and the Bulls in the 80s and through the 1990 ECF. It wasn't until the 90s (starting in 91 ECF) that Jordan dominated the league.
This why the bulls should have never let Charles Oakley go. As a bulls fan I look back at how the pistons owned us. Isiah Thomas is the greatest point guard of all times. MJ learned that killer instinct from Isiah Thomas!
MJ always had a killer competitive mindset though. His parents have said so. He walked into the league with it, but of course he had to develop physically, mentally, knowing Jordan's mindset, he'll always work to improve to outwork.
Detroit owned the Bulls.and dominated them for Five straight years in the 80s,Jordan hates them to this very day.Isaiah Thomas was one of the greatest players of all times.
No, not five straight years. Heh. Check the records. And fun fact: in 89 when the Pistons "dominated" Chicago in the ECSF... that same Pistons team _swept_ the Bucks, _swept_ the Celtics and in the finals _swept_ the Lakers. Jordan was the only Bulls all star (Pippen was nothing yet...) yet Chicago was still the only playoff team to beat Detroit; and they beat them 2x
@@AnHebrewChild you probably were not even born Micheal Jordan entered the league in1984 and got injured in 85,so for 84 86,87,88,89,90 the pistons dominated the bulls its simple math.
@@lorenzoclement2013 when you said, "Detroit dominated the Bulls for five straight years" I read (perhaps I _misread)_ this as referring to the playoffs. If you meant regular season too, I agree with your statement. I was referring to the playoffs. Also, I'm a 70's baby... FWIW Cheers
![[SFM] Risky Recital](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RzNkY1_Nk3o/mqdefault.jpg)
The whole world knows what MJ is but we have to admit that Isaah Thomas was a real great player.
Thank You this not the new York Knicks or the heat
Bro he is waaaaay to underrated . Look at his moves. And quickness...
@flashisfreshtv How often is he ACTUALLY mentioned tho? Lmao im old enough to have seen the man play df is your point ? U just made the dumbest comment on earth. U cant tell me this mans name isnt MENTIONED enough! Left off the dream team and his team or his NAME is barely mentioned when talking about the greatest teams and players. All we ever hear is celtics lakers or bulls . Or we skip them and jump right into these current players .
@flashisfreshtv i just wanna make sure you actually read my comment and used your brain lmao. Do you actually think IT goes on TV and argues his case on why he thinks him and his team is widely underrated for no reason? Lmao cause if he has to doit himself then i think its obvious they dont get enough credit...which is my whole point dumb dumb lol
@flashisfreshtv lmao your dumb
Damn isiah is underrated in terms of all time greats. He was the leader of this pistons team but was the smallest on the court. Says a lot about him.
m Khan ....well, i guess you're referring to MJ when you say "GOAT". Right? Well, Isiah's teams DID handle MJ's teams in 3 out of 4 playoff series. So MJ wasnt really an obstacle like that for Zeke. S'all.
@Jay Thompson he was battling with injuries and retired early in 1994 he had the archilles injury the one that even kd experts are saying he wont be the same kd.
@Jay Thompson it was and he struggled for those last 4 years b4 retiring..do u realy think a player retires just because of 1 injury?....his body broke down leading to the downfall of the pistons...the first time jordan defeated them they only won 50 games and isaiah was struggling he had a pair of floating lingaments detarched in his arm in 1991 the year that pistons began being weaker.The guy had 148 turnovers a league high because of the arm that year and the pistons could not threepeat.
@Jay Thompson isaiah was injured on 91 get ur facts right....jordan defeating a hobbled isaiah is nor an accomplishmet and him crying about the pistons style yet he took the coach who implemented that syle showed how he envied them
@Jay Thompson yet he was hobbled and ur star still crying about people walking off which was common back then..I dont see anybody bashing the celtics for doing the same..and if nobody wanted Isaiah why did they unanimously vote for him to be their representative only Jordan,pippen and bird because he defeated them
Isaiah more than held his own against the best and no one seem to be interested.
That's because they have been brain washed into thinking Isiah Thomas was not a Dogg!
He didn’t “Hold his own”. He beat them. All of them. Magic Bird Jordan all got stopped because of him
Iverson outscored MJ on their encounters tho .
held his own? he's top 2 greatest point guard ever.
recently he said Jordan wasn't his competition. he dominated against Jordan.. his rivals were bird, magic, dr J.
when zeke says his teams were dominant over mj's teams, he's not lying
Yeah, Laimbeer's perimeter game is surprisingly very good. That alone looks like all that was needed to easily handle the Bulls. He looked like he could camp out there and hit them pot shots all night.
I'd be bitter too if I was MJ. Laimbeer is made out to look like a talentless bully who has to injure people to compete. Watching these games though paints a far different picture.
@@austonsmith536 You're absolutely right MJ had to take his lumos that's why after 3 srmtraight yrs of getting bounced out the playoffs by the Pistons they finally beat them in 91 and we all know the rest of the story 6 rings!!
@@austonsmith536They make it seem like they won back to back championships, by beating everyone up. I'm from Michigan and I watched every game aired on TV. They were really good and their defense was really tough. Everyone played rough back then and got away with it. every since the malice at the palace, they've labeled those Detroit teams as thugs. Not like Jordan was mr. nice guy! it was just a different game back then.
Even in the 1991 season before injuries the lead was in the mid 20s the entire second half
@@st7728Lol the pistons has bounty’s on players, big difference
Love MJ as a basketball player but Haller Famer Isiah Thomas is special that move he did on paxson around the 5min marker was amazing and his passing handles dude had amazing basketball iq and talent geez.
TheOnly Way I said the same thing
Isiah is still probably the best ball handler in the history of the NBA. He actually used to put on Globetrotter like dribbling clinics. The guy was amazing
Boy I tell you what, NO OTHER TEAM was able to psychologically affect Jordan. However, this rivalry was what elevated Jordan's game--playing against an intelligent player such as Isaiah.
Very true. The Bad Boys made him!
@Litty 3 Titty Scottie? Is that you??
We already know how incredibly amazing MJ was. It’s good to remind people how great Zeke really was. Top 3 PG ever.
I thougt pippen was helping jordan
Top 2. Second only to Magic
@@gbIce44 Zeke ain't better than Steph
@@gbIce44 Agreed. On an all time team, I got Magic as starting PG... but Isaiah definitely as my back up point.
@@gbIce44 I’d put him third behind curry
Zeke's first 4 year's in the league was some of the best basketball played by a guard in NBA history! Hall of Famer, and we watched every game here in Detroit from 1981 to 1994
Yes first year in NBA by Zeke was insane, and also pistons was very offensive team in that period, Thomas could achive some double figures apg
@@marecki9845 It was a awesome time for piston fan's, zeke was our Bird, Magic, Doctor J, he did well
Thanks for this video! People need to know how good 11 was for Detroit. Jordan is the GOAT but Isiah was no slouch either. He was top 5 in his era and beat everybody along the way. You want to know why Jordan really hates Zeke this is why he was always in the Bulls face and didn't let up until the end of the Pistons championship run.
Amazing picture quality! Some gorgeous moves by MJ in this one that made to his video releases back in the day.
Abdul Khan ....the bulls lost. i like Isiah's moves better.
Looks like Zeke's playmaking ability was far greater than MJ's back then. Its like MJ actually had to study how Isaiah was able to make the right decisions in traffic, create something out of nothing while running faster than everyone on the court. (Younger MJ used his athleticism to bail him out, most of the time GUESSING the right move instead of CONTROLLING the game with awareness like the many godly gifted hall of fame point guards)
Zeke being able to outsmart the defense, create open shots by driving and scoring in traffic on dudes far bigger and stronger made him look like a top 5 all time player. Zeke had Magic Johnson type point guard skills, he just wasnt Johnson's size. He made that whole Piston team into arguably the greatest team ever to lace them up.
The disrespect is well-deserved. They should've never been as great as they were. I'd be pissed off too if I was the other great NBA hall of famers. Those Piston teams could run anyone and everyone crying off the court.
Zeke stripping MJ's pockets for the easy fast break bucket says it all.
You act like MJ didn’t give zeke that work
@@kamfisher1714what work bro stop
@@festusaniemeka3350 The work that had him disappear and never send again after 1991🤣
Real tough basketball,nobody ran to help MJ when he was on the floor,no shake hands after the game!!!real shit!!!
Victor Martinez MJ was bitching that the pistons didn’t shake their hands after the 91 ECF. So what’s your point
@@wariocheats9701 point is Mj da 🐐
Isaiah should be arrested....He was a killer out there
put LBJ back then against these defenses and he'll retire immediately.
@Colton Garrett he played one game without air conditioning and he quit 😂 he would have never made it back in the day
That is the most beautiful comment that I've ever heard about the leader of the bad boy. Thank you!
@Colton Garrett what I said is just a fact numbnuts
Smallest player, biggest heart. Just superb in every way.
Isiah Thomas mentality was deadly he was an assassin with an incredible will to overcome any challenge that he had to face. Natural God given skills second to only Magic Johnson controlling the tempo of the game. Definitely top 3 all-time.
Thomas was the mentally toughest player and player with the most heart that I ever saw....at 6'1" 180lbs he would control a game with a bucket, a rebound, a steal, a trap, a sweet pass.....and he was all over the court. He was a joy to watch, sheer moxie, hustle and heart. My own boy is knicknamed "Zeke" after Isiah. None finer.
Isiah was torching Paxson so bad that they moved Pippen on him. That didn't work either.
@3:48 - you'll never see a player above 6'4" cover ground this quickly in the halfcourt. In fact, even among players 6'4" or under, I think only Westrbook and prime DRose could make that claim. Just blazing fast change of direction and acceleration. Crazy moves/shot by Isiah under duress at 5:06. Ridiculous acceleration and shot by Jordan at 6:26. Incredibly fast spin through the trap by MJ at 7:00. And then at 7:19, the GOAT quickness on the baseline and then not needing any space/time/knee-bend to get MAJOR elevation for the facial. The best leaper off a quick step EVER.
Well said.
Actually it happens on a nightly basis.
@@KingAmaniImani Nonsense. Point me to a clip and tell me exactly which part of my response you're responding to (i.e. which play).
jordanlover23 michael is very fast and athletic and he has a really good mid range game. But this makes me wonder if the defense is just that bad.
Yeah. Zeke had a freakish 48 inch vertical.. When he first got into the league, he would tip dunk over centers all the time.
Zeke .....smoke...I see why MJ still mad 30 years later...dam
Notice, he never talks trash about Pistons besides saying they kicked my ass 😂
Who’s mad? Isiah can’t go anywhere without mentioning MJ
3:46 Jordans Playground 😍
Unlike most of my Generation, I'll always be grateful to have lived in the time of Michael and Isiah.
ZEEK IS A BEAST
Detroit pistons the only ball club to ever take MJ to school great battles with bulls in the east.
Doctor J is 6-2-0 head to head against MJ
I m Malaysian.was student in detroit fr 1987 to 91 during that great bad boys era.
Zeke was definitely 1 of the best player along wt magic,bird n Jordan.No disrespect to Stockton...but no way he is not as comparable to zeke.
Piston had been to 3 straight nba final n back to back champion..got exhausted only then the bull overcame them.
Isiah Thomas was my idol, one of the greatest.
Isaiah left the basketball on the bulls horn at the end game buzzer.
Jordan didn't mention this game in Last dance
Cause Pistons were in their prime kicking MJ ass. When they get old, he heated them.MJ is great, but you can find many mistakes by him also.
@@vahuid they weren't old they were just banged up, but either way, The Bulls were just better than them by '91, period.
Because it was a random January regular season game?
@@harrytubman7947 The Pistons handled the bulls
MR Boduke what’s your point? I’m not disputing that. I’m questioning why would he mention this particular random regular season game in The Last Dance?
Okay Mike that dude an if you don’t know but I’ve always loved Zekes’ game, not flashy but simply complete with a secret ingredient, heart.
Thomas was a beast, and the bulls weren’t really good until the 90’s. Back then the Celtics, lakers and pistons ruled. Once those guys phased out and got old is when mike took over with the bulls! Thomas was the real deal !
the piston's weren't really old, zeke and rodman were 30 yrs old, dumars was 28.. the team average was 31 yrs old. rest of the bulls just got really good, not just mj.
@Brixaa @32, sure! but he was still in his prime @30 when the bulls swept them in '91.
@Brixaa it didn't matter. zeke could've been healthy and having an mvp season but there's no way they're beating mj's bulls again. this wasn't the same bulls they were previously bullying. it wasn't just a one man team anymore.
This video is great. Both isiah and Jordan shared the competitive trait like no other players.
This is my favorite basketball rivalry. I grew up in this era I definitely know who Isaiah Thomas is. I love MJs energy at this time of his career although he was phenomenal throughout all of it.
Now i know why mj hated zeke and pistons
Zeke was so consistent.
MJ and the Bulls don’t win 6 let alone 3 without going through Detroit first 💯 as much as they hated each other they owe that to the Pistons and MJ acknowledges it. We also know that the league flat out stole one from Detroit in ‘88 with that BS call on Laimbeer, giving Kareem those unworthy free throws after Isiah’s legendary performance on one foot, so those Pistons should have definitely three-peated before the Bulls. They were more than poised to. You could even argue 4 in a row but Bird got that late-game steal fair and square in the ‘87 ECF so I won’t take it there, but the Bad Boy Pistons are one of the greatest teams of all time and definitely the greatest defensive team ever. 2 of the sweetest titles a team can have against all adversity.
Tell the truth to brother to these kids.
@Jalen Thomas : The league is all about who stays healthy. No doubt MJ can be thought of us the greatest of his era. The point is, without Larry birds back injury and Isaiah Thomas’ wrist injury which crush their super teams; the bulls won’t have the first 6 championship easily.If your super player can’t play no more,you are done.
@@yaweli2968 The Celtics were done anyway as the Pistons had figured them out. Then the Bulls improved beyond Detroit. Jordan was Jordan.
Everyone who watched basketball or are knowledgeable of the era recognizes the Pistons' greatness. However, their run was their run. Those arguments mean little because I can easily say if Jordan had better teammates earlier in his career, the Bulls may have won or been legitimate Championship contenders.
@@yaweli2968 Detroit pistons was fouling ass mofos, they couldn't stop Jordan so they fouled him constantly,
We all watched the whole Full games,
Defense is only a precept of Fouling all game every game, That's defense,According to you,
, Considering, Jordan was hit so many times in the Air, Flagrant Fouls, Personal ,
Mad fouling, they Detroit was slow ,
That's why they grabbed pushed n Slapped like btches
Should have been a three-peat could have been a four-peat.
Detroit proved jordan couldnt win alone
Why do people keep saying that of course MJ can't win by himself it takes 5 players on the floor to play the game.
@@ronaldjackson7541 becaude jordan fans act like he could
PSA - Please correct these fools that never watched Zeke play but call him dirty because they snack on cheap propaganda. Isiah took exponentially more punishment than he ever dished out. More than any baller I ever saw. He literally bled for those titles. Repeatedly. And never cared.
However, when it comes to dirty play, that Bad Boys front line is a different story. Rodman, Laimbeer and Mahorn? Overkill.
Thanks for putting this out. I keep hearing criticism as to their style of play. Yes, they were tough, but anyone can look at this and see that Isiah was a dominant player. DET earned their victories.
1990 NBA champion I almost forget it. but we still remember MJ 's game
Now this is what true basketball was all about.. Grit snd grind. I truly miss it.
We need more MJ Vs IT Vids Just a legendary match up.
Beautiful! Detroit loves Zeke!
Isaiah was one of the many few who could match Jordan and beat him
You mean the Pistons could out do the Bulls. This wasn't a match-up between Jordan and Isaiah.
Good lord Edwards was so fucking long and athletic.. wow! Pistons were fucking loaded absolutely loaded!!!
Two years later Scotty Pippen made it to the dream team and Isiah Thomas didn't... how was that even possible???!!!
Simply because Bird , Jordan, Pippen Clyde and other team members didn't want him there because the pistons were dirty player that did more fighting and commiting dirty fouls than playing basketball.yeah Isiah Thomas could have been a great player if he wasn't the fuel behind the dirty plays of the piston he was a bad sportsman and he always hated Jordan because Mj took his shine plus Isiah was from Chicago and Chicago loved Jordan and Isiah always hated that.
A lot of what people perceive to be Isaiah Thomas' disrespect for Jordan is because Thomas doesn't fear or revere Michael Jordan--and there's a good logical reason for that. Thomas is one of the few players who played against Michael Jordan that EVER got into Jordan's head and, ironically, Isaiah would be the reason that Jordan was inspired to overcome this weakness and become invincible on the court.
Only a few min in but this is the best I ever remember Bedford looking in a game
THIS WHY ISAIAH SAID JORDAN WASN'T HIS COMPETITION...HE WAS COMPETING AGAINST BIRD AND MAGIC FOR RINGS... JORDAN WASN'T READY TO WIN AT THAT TIME
Shyheme Eszco? He may have played more against Bird and Magic, but they played each other four times in the playoffs -3 to the pistons and 1 to the bulls. How on earth is that not considered competition?? Even MJ, possibly the most competitive person ever put on this planet, recognized Isaiah and the BBoys as a rival (even crediting them for the Bulls later success). How could Isaiah, in turn, not consider Michael legitimate competition? Is it cause MJ finally spoiled their party and handed them their own ass in a sweep?
It's not a competition if it's one sided...how can I consider u competition if I'm constantly beating you??? Isiah considered Bird and Magic cuz he had to get over that hump.. eventually Jordan did by beating the Pistons...so ur not saying anything I haven't seen...and ok the Bulls swept the Pistons in 91 but Isaiah hold the overall record in the Wins and Losses department...so let's not get too crazy #BadBoys
Shyheme Eszco Lol I wasn’t trying to make it personal or anything. I just looked up the statement you’re referencing, and it’s definitely a classic Bulls V Pistons comment lol. I thought Isaiah meant that MJ wasn’t really his competition in terms of the eras in which they played- cause Isaiah was around several years earlier than Mike, and Mike several years later than Isaiah. But I can see now that he was just taking a shot at MJ. And it’s true that the Pistons straight up out played the bulls from 84 through 89-90. But to just dismiss a team that swept you, and took the series to game 7 the year before is most definitely salty IMO.
How is it salty wen Jordan himself said he still to this day hates Isaiah...that's why Isaiah made the comment...how in 2020 u still mad...so who's the real salty one?..
Shyheme Eszco and of course I’m not saying Jordan hasn’t made his fair share of salty statements towards Isaiah and the Pistons either. I guess that kinda stuff is bound to happen with big time athletes like them.
I loved watching this rivalry in real time.
Yep. This happened pretty much right after I got into Jordan / Bulls / B-ball.
SHANNON SHARPS INTERVIEW BROUGHT ME HERE.
Lambeer underrrated
When you're best move is a cheap shot foul you're not underrated at anything the biggest pile of shit to ever play
@@MattZankoand that’s why the game is so soft now because you sissies can’t stand seeing your “star player” get beat 😂
Who is underrating him? What is his current rating? Where is the list of ratings? What are the criteria for the ratings?
Pistons owned Chicago back then !
This is why Jordan and the Bulls hated the Pistons.
Please upload some regular season games. Hear are some classic regular season games. March 1, 1989, Jazz @ Pistons;
March 29, 1989, Pistons @ Jazz;
March 31, 1989, Pistons @ Supersonics;
April 7, 1989, Pistons @ Bulls.
When people said if you breathe on Jordan it’s a foul it ain’t wrong. He def got special treatment
Isiah, first, than Jordan changed theirs organization around. Turning a losing club to a winning one its a greater achievement than being champion with an organization that is historically a winner.
Exactly 💯
Both should be commended for this.
6:25 is the play we always see in highlights
A victory by the bad boys at Chicago Stadium in January of 1990. They were so great against jordan.
Put This Game On NBA TV Hardwood Classic On TV
Another win for Zeke over MJ. He sure beat him a lot.
I think MJ's disgust for Isaiah originated from this time with the "Jordan Rules" etc the way the Piston's played the Bulls hard and the fact that initially the Bulls just couldn't overcome the Pistons.
@@Tejaye777magic was the reason why zeke wasn’t on the team
@@kamfisher1714 It's recordings on MJ admitting that the league talked to him about IT. Ain't no recordings on Magic; most of them say they weren't asked. In his book, Magic just said nobody in the locker room wanted to play with Isiah, not only a lie, but a distraction argument. The decision had already been quietly made by the league and Michael Jordan.
Many many many times
Two comments, Isiah Thomas was mentally tougher than everybody on the dream team and at 7:39 imagine if that was LeBron James.
Probably a hater
We ain’t gotta imagine we seen Lebron choke multiple times
People said those things about Jordan before he started winning championships. There will always be a Skip Bayless
I remember MJ being great and Isiah being great as well at that time they could not guard each other . Nobody could guard MJ honestly !
Time stamp: about 3:49 and see what speed, elevation, and hang time look like. No one floated like Air Jordan, a human being at its finest representation of gift and talent.
6:24 - 6:39
Poetry in motion..
I am sure that when MJ drove in to the basket and did those crazy moves, referees were so entertained that forgot to call the fouls!
Isiah was a fantastic player. As well as, Dumars. I’ve heard and read a few times over the years that Jordan wouldn’t have the recognition he has without Nike and his sneaker brand. His sneakers wouldn’t be jack had he not performed on the court how he had! The man was tremendous on both ends of the floor! Jordan wanted to become the best two way player of all time and he succeeded that task.
6:48. Isiah abused pippen. that made him look silly...
The only reason they hate Detroit is because they’ve been kicked 3 consecutive years. Knicks played almost with the same physicality years after against Bulls but they didn’t complain. Bad Boys also had a great influence to the game and it was very necessary
edson raice great point
@:edson raice , and the Pistons begun real bullying to blow up their lead against opponents so refs don’t rob them for favorite NBA teams like the lakers and Celtics. People actually underrated how good the Pistons were in the late 80’s.
Yep could give it back to the bulls on offense
I say these two teams would cream any NBA team of the last 10 to 15 years
Man it looks like players knew the game of basketball very well in the 80’s! 🔥💯
BORN AND RAISED IN CHICAGO 30-25-73 WHEN MIKE CAME TO MY CITY I WAS 11 YRS OLD! THESE DETROIT PISTON CHICAGO BULLS GAMES WERE BRUTAL!
Definitely very hard fought games and Isiah was born and raised in Chicago. St. Joes HS
I KNOW I WENT TO THE SAME HIGH SCHOOL. I WAS THERE WAS HE WON HIS 1ST CHAMPIONSHIP IN 89 HE CAME BACK TO THE SCHOOL I WAS A JUNIOR. WE BOOD THE SHIT OUT OF HIM!
@@jerilbush6613 You went to Joes?
@@zzzaccounting5924 YUP CLASS OF 91
Ain't this the series Zeke had a steal Snatching the ball right out of jordans hands near the basket. Good times
Did the Pistons look dirty? No! That just looked like the superior team
When basketball mattered and the NBA was at its most competitive, the Bulls didn't win. They had to wait until the Celtics, Lakers, Sixers and Pistons were done before they won. If they were that great they would have won when it mattered.
MJ was the best player in the world by 1988, his team just sucked, just like LeBron was already the best in 2008, but could not win because his team was terrible.
@@johnsonmark65 And the Pistons in 1981 weren't great either. The point is that each team that won had to go through a process to win. When the Pistons finally beat the Celtics in 1988 to go onto the Championship series, they shook hands with the Celtics. Those two teams respected each other even though they fought incredibly hard against each other. In 1991 when the Bulls finally beat the Pistons to go onto the Championship series, they disrespected the Pistons and that is why the handshake didn't occur. Jordan and Phil Jackson denigrated the Pistons team and claimed they were better for basketball than them so they deserved to win. That disrespect angered Isiah and most of the rest of the team and so they didn't stick around to shake hands. The media blamed them and called them poor sports but no one bothered to ask why the Bulls disrespected them. Why they couldn't acknowledge them for teaching them how to win. That is the difference in my mind between those two teams.
Greatest point guard of all time,baby! Bob cousy right there.phill Ford from north Carolina there also.maurice cheeks ,also.cheeks from Chicago, baby.
4:15 cuz of the quality u cant really see that well but for me that doesn't seems an offensive foul, more like an ankle breaker 😯
Zeke was the GOAT. MJ needed the NBA to change the rules to win. Fact. Didn't want Zeke on the dream team because he would have stole the show. Fact.
say it like it is,isiah is a dream point guard for any basketballer,be it pros or even streets,too smart...
You’re delusional
@@natecole4486People like you brainwash others, MJ didn’t change no rules,
I liked stockton but can people stop with the stockton was better than Isiah or even acting like it was close. Isiah was better than stockton. he was good a passer but had extra gears. mj was a beast too but isiah was a beast too. there he is the reason he is mj's number rival. isiah is in the same air as magic and Oscar as greatest pg of all time. those are the top 3 pg
The difference between Stockton and Isiah is that Isiah had the ability to rise to the occasion and completely take over and dominate a game passing defending and scoring. Isiah had the desire and skill to beat the very best the game had to offer mentally and physically. He completely dominated the game unbelievable will to win.... unstoppable.
Clearly detroit is the better team in this video.
dsquad Hilario right with no beat up just better
Yep jordan was still jordan
Yep..
And I remember reading somewhere that Isiah said that one of his brothers was even better than him, and Zeke is a top 3 point guard.
Top 2.
2
Is it a coincidence that Mike said same thing about his brother Larry? Is it possible, that they are talking about the same person? And thus - Mike and Isiah are also brothers???
Jordan was playing one man game
bruh, that's an amazing channel
Humm.. I think we all can agree about how good Isiah Thomas was. And, how to dominate of an offensive player MJ was.
If they hadn't blown 87 and been robbed in 88 they'd a won 4 straight in prime bird magic and MJ. Beat all the goats at least once and would've beat the third twice if wasn't robbed
Man Isaiah thomas was a good basketball player
And playoff series Isiah Thomas was even better than that
These Pistons teams created MJ to be the GOAT , he didn’t cry for a trade . Or join up with others he lifted weights , went harder the next year and swept 🧹 them boys off the court. No handshakes needed 😂
I thought Jordan never cries for calls lmao
Oh just like isiah?
All those years of futility were erased by the "Bad Boys". I started going to Cobo Hall when I was 13 in 1960, with my cousin on the bus. We saw so many Pistons games and while we had some great players, we never had a great team. The Pistons and those great players on the team made me proud to be a life long fan.
People forget that great 1980 rookie class of Larry Bird (champion), Magic Johnson (champion), Bill Cartwright (champion), David Greenwood (champion) and Sidney Moncrief.
No, they don't. Everyone knows about Bird and Magic in college and definitely in the 80's.
@@nothingnothing7648 they weren't the only rookie stats in that class.
People forget prior to Cartwright's knee injury and pre Patrick Ewing, he was the 3rd best rookie in that class.
@123slasher.16 people who watched that Era won't ever forget that. The 3rd round of that draft produced champions. Bill Laimbeer, Earl Cureton, my good friend Terry Duerod(R.I.P. big bro), James Donaldson and Mark Eaton were multiple time all stars.
@@nothingnothing7648Mark Eaton was not a star.
He was just big with no talent at all.
people arent uninterested in isiah thomas they just don't like detroit.
Isiah Thomas straight up draxx them sklounst!
It was like this let jordan do his thing let's win the ball game Isaiah and laimber. Original pick and roll
That was the game plan. But, they still made him work for his point.
I think the fans are more into the beef than Isiah and MJ
Isiah Thomas haters need to check their history. IT dominated Jordan and the Bulls in the 80s and through the 1990 ECF. It wasn't until the 90s (starting in 91 ECF) that Jordan dominated the league.
If they played in this generation they would be teammates 8x champions ! Lol
This why the bulls should have never let Charles Oakley go. As a bulls fan I look back at how the pistons owned us. Isiah Thomas is the greatest point guard of all times. MJ learned that killer instinct from Isiah Thomas!
Laimbeer nor Rodman were scared of Oakley, not ever.
They won 6 rings clown
@@kamfisher1714 I know that you dumbass!
MJ always had a killer competitive mindset though. His parents have said so. He walked into the league with it, but of course he had to develop physically, mentally, knowing Jordan's mindset, he'll always work to improve to outwork.
WHY WAS JORDAN NOT BITTER TOWARDS BOSTON WHO SWEPT THEM TWO YEARS IN A ROW INNTHE PLAYOFFS
Detroit owned the Bulls.and dominated them for Five straight years in the 80s,Jordan hates them to this very day.Isaiah Thomas was one of the greatest players of all times.
No, not five straight years. Heh. Check the records.
And fun fact: in 89 when the Pistons "dominated" Chicago in the ECSF... that same Pistons team _swept_ the Bucks, _swept_ the Celtics and in the finals _swept_ the Lakers. Jordan was the only Bulls all star (Pippen was nothing yet...) yet Chicago was still the only playoff team to beat Detroit; and they beat them 2x
@@AnHebrewChild you probably were not even born Micheal Jordan entered the league in1984 and got injured in 85,so for 84 86,87,88,89,90 the pistons dominated the bulls its simple math.
@@lorenzoclement2013 when you said, "Detroit dominated the Bulls for five straight years" I read (perhaps I _misread)_ this as referring to the playoffs. If you meant regular season too, I agree with your statement. I was referring to the playoffs.
Also, I'm a 70's baby... FWIW
Cheers
@@AnHebrewChild yes I also mean regular season,in the mid eighties Chcsgob and > had a completely different Set
Hate when people say curry better
I saw a greatest PG poll and it had Thomas at 10 and Stockton ranked 4 and Nash ranked higher as well. Laughable.
Isaiah Thomas: the last dribbler
Thomas 👍