?The Whole City Was Mad?: Michael Jordan Accused of Using ?Stereotypes? and ?Labels? to Beat His Biggest Rival, Isiah Thomas

Not many teams and players can claim that they have beaten the greatest in the sport’s history. However, the ‘Bad Boys’ Detroit Pistons of the late 80s, led by Hall of Famer point guard Isiah Thomas can rightfully claim that title. But their ‘blue-collar’ reputation in the league and intensely physical playing style made them the villains of the early 80s and early 90s. However, Thomas recently presented a very different perspective and illustrated how Jordan and the Bulls had painted the entire city of Detroit in a bad light during the Bulls-Pistons rivalry in the early 90s.

Isiah Thomas has been an ardent supporter of the Pistons’ cause for over three decades as their leader. Thomas recently appeared on The Pivot Podcast where he passionately backed his team at the expense of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

Isiah Thomas exposes how Michael Jordan and the Bulls tarnished the image of Detroit

The fierce rivalry between the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls of the 80s and 90s resulted in the ugly stereotyping of an entire city. While Thomas and Jordan battled it out on the hardwood, the city of Detroit suffered the brunt of the rivalry outside the court. During a recent appearance on The Pivot Podcast, Thomas alluded to the offensive labeling that took place leaguewide.

In a passionate monologue, the 2x NBA champion pointed out the unfair labeling of the ‘Bad Boys’ Pistons using offensive stereotypes associated with the city of Detroit by the NBA teams at the time. Moreover, he accused Jordan and the Bulls of exacerbating the problem by saying things like the Pistons were bad for basketball and they didn’t deserve to win any titles. To refute the argument Thomas argued that the Pistons were probably the only team that had the hardest road to the trophy, beating Jordan’s Bulls, Bird’s Celtics, and Magic and Kareem’s Lakers.

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To further solidify his argument, Thomas justified the infamous walk-off from Game 4 of the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals. After quoting the offensive labels placed upon the Pistons by Jordan and the Bulls, Thomas underscored the emotions behind the walk-off, pointing out that it was led by Terry Foster of Detroit News. He said, “The whole city was mad, not because they beat us, but the way they had labeled and used stereotypes against us as a basketball team and Detroit as a city.”?

Though Thomas’ remarks came on the back of the unfair labeling and stereotyping of the Pistons, their infamous walk-off in the 1991 ECF shocked the NBA world.?

The Bad Boys’ walk-off in 1991

The Detroit Pistons had dominated the NBA in the 80s and the 90s. They bested the likes of the Lakers, the Celtics, and the Bulls. Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Michael Jordan could not overcome them in their prime.

However, the fierce rivalry between them and Jordan’s Bulls became a constant in the playoffs. By deploying the ‘Jordan Rules,’ they bested the 6x NBA champion in three straight Eastern Conference Finals from 1988-1990. However, in 1991, the tables turned as the Bulls swept the Pistons.

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In Game 4, after the loss, Thomas led his troops and walked off the court without shaking the hands of the Bulls players. It became the highlight of the game. Since that night, Thomas and the Pistons have faced the wrath of the NBA community for the action.