
via Getty
NASHVILLE, TN – JUNE 24: Team 23Xi co-owner Michael Jordan on pit road prior to qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Ally 400 on June 24, 2023 at Nashville SuperSpeedway in Lebanon, TN. (Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

via Getty
NASHVILLE, TN – JUNE 24: Team 23Xi co-owner Michael Jordan on pit road prior to qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Ally 400 on June 24, 2023 at Nashville SuperSpeedway in Lebanon, TN. (Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Over the decades, fans have come across some incredible teams and rivalries. For some franchises, their identities were closely linked to the rivalries they boasted. In this case, Detroit Pistons fans will surely agree. After all, the team boasted some of the greatest, most eccentric and physical players in the league during the late ’80s. Despite their unique rivalry with Michael Jordan, nobody was spared by the Bad Boys.
In a recent interview on Vlad TV, a?former Atlanta Hawks small forward recalled an incident where 8 players received fined against Detroit.?
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The Human Highlight on the brutal face-off with the Detroit Pistons
Infamously known as the ?Bad Boys,? the Detroit Pistons were known for their fierce competitiveness and aggressive game in the 80s and 90s. When Vlad asked Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins about his experience battling against the then-Pistons, he shared his honest opinion.?
Speaking of a 33-year-old game against Detroit, Wilkins noted,? I remember playing against them and that series was brutal because they would beat each other.”

via Getty
AUBURN HILLS, MI – JUNE 13: Rick Mahorn #4 of the Detroit Pistons celebrates with his teamates in the locker room after winning the 1989 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, MI. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1989 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
Notoriously, a matchup between the Hawks and Pistons went awry in 1990. Detroit big Bill Laimbeer, often known as?Prince of Darkness,?pushed Wilkins to the floor. This led to an altercation involving both teams which the league fined 8 players for.
Regardless, this did not reduce Dominique’s respect for the two-time NBA championship winning Pistons.
Wilkins explained, “Because our team we had big guys who would like to play that way – the physical bang you hit you going to the basket. So there was mutual respect between two teams but we did not like each other,??said the Atlanta Hawks legend.
Of course, the Hawks were not the only ones. Those who have watched the popular Netflix series, The Last Dance are well aware of it.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Michael Jordan disliked the ?Bad Boy Pistons?
Hark back to the 1988 Eastern Conference finals. Well, the Pistons? ?Jordan Rules” were quite evident in that game.
These rules were simple. You see Michael Jordan, you put him on the ground. Jordan in the Netflix docuseries stated, ?Oh I hated them.? There is a reason for that. Under the leadership of Chuck Daly, Detroit sent the Bulls packing in 1988, 1989, and 1990.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
In 1990, His Airness and the Chicago Bulls lost to the Pistons in seven games in the conference finals. As we all know, after that year, MJ would three-peat for the first time. But it’s hard to tell what his legacy would look like if it weren’t for the Detroit Pistons.
Watch This Story ? ?Absolutely Incredible Impersonating?: Fans Erupt in Laughter as Paul George Hilariously Mimics 76ers Legend Charles Barkley
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT