Isiah Thomas Snatches Michael Jordan’s Spotlight After “Trash to Greatness” Claim Triggers Stinging Reality Check

Almost four decades since their first feud and Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan aren’t letting anyone forget their rivalry. All-Star beef, healed relation, surprising comment on documentary. That has been a timeline of the duo’s dynamic in brief. Call it a continuation, now, Thomas once again finds himself in a sentence with Jordan, thanks to what seems like an indirect jab at the Chicago Bulls legend. 

It was Gilbert Arenas’s podcast that stirred the pot as he shared a story about Jordan’s early days in the league. According to him, Jordan was the only player who had built his success on the court from zero. The former NBA All-Star stated that Jordan had started his career with a team that had no stars, inspired them, and with his skills, took them towards greatness.

Arenas also didn’t refrain from name-dropping Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, who, according to him, saw greatness because they had a good team like the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. “The only person who built their legacy from trash to greatness is Michael Jordan,” said the Wizards’ star in his podcast.

A roster of Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes, and Norm Nixon among others was what welcomed Johnson in 1979, alongside six championships. Bird’s case, on the other hand, wasn’t much different. A team with 13 championships and a roster of Dave Cowens, Cedric Maxwell, as well as Nate Archibald. While Johnson clinched the championship that year, Bird reached the conference finals to bag the ring the next. For Jordan, first round of playoffs was all he made on the team with no championships. 

Isiah Thomas, however, wasn’t about to let this narrative remain unchallenged. He took to his Twitter to repost Arenas’s podcast and wrote, “Not the only one.”

https://twitter.com/isiahthomas/status/1829936039663698201?s=46&t=1MdiFgVTI6O2G9CpAMfipw

Jordan’s impact was undeniable, but Thomas isn’t letting all the spotlight shine on the Bulls’ icon alone. He might’ve had other names to suggest, such as Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, or himself, considering he went on to make his case as the second-overall pick for a team with no championships in the league to two during his run. But that remains with him. 

Unclear of the names behind the remark, but the feud, he isn’t letting die down.

Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas continue to find themselves in the same sentence

The animosity between the two began during the 1985 NBA All-Star match when Jordan’s Chicago Bulls faced off against Thomas’ Detroit Pistons.

The Pistons, led by Thomas, had developed a reputation for their physical style of play, often employing dirty tactics. This aggressive approach rubbed Jordan the wrong way. It was believed that Thomas played dirty tricks on the Bulls rookie, who only scored seven points during the All-Star match. However, Thomas later denied doing so. Moreover, tensions between the two rose when it was believed Jordan was the reason Thomas was not selected for the 1992 Dream Team.

According to another former Chicago Bulls player, Brad Sellers, the rivalry between the two NBA veterans was regarding territory. Thomas was a native of Chicago whereas, Jordan at that time had the whole of Chicago’s eyes on him with his performance.

Nonetheless, Thomas iterated they had a pretty decent dynamic post NBA. But to only form a rift after The Last Dance showed MJ calling the Pistons star an a**hole. Thomas asked for a public apology soon after, but there seems to be no development on that. “Until I get a public apology, this beef is gonna go on for a long long time,” he had said. So seems like Thomas-Jordan stories aren’t going to run out anytime soon. 

“Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.”