Most Famous Beef In NBA History Explained

“When Legends Clash: The Eternal Feud Between Michael Jordan and Isaiah Thomas”

In the glittering galaxy of NBA stars, no rivalry has ever burned as long—or as bitterly—as the one between Michael Jordan and Isaiah Thomas. What began as a subtle spark in the mid-1980s would go on to define an era, influence global basketball culture, and still ignite debate decades later.

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The Unseen Beginning — 1984

Long before Michael Jordan took the NBA by storm, he crossed paths with Isaiah Thomas in an unlikely setting: the 1984 Olympic training camp. Back then, the U.S. still sent collegiate athletes to the Olympics. While Jordan was the rising star, Thomas was already a polished NBA guard and among the league’s elite. The U.S. Olympic Team, featuring college players like Jordan, Patrick Ewing, and Chris Mullin, stunned the world by defeating seasoned NBA All-Stars—including Isaiah, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson—in a series of exhibition games. Team USA went 8-0, and a 21-year-old Jordan averaged 17 points per game. Thomas, despite being a veteran, found himself outshined by a college kid.

First Clash in the NBA — 1984-85 Season

By the time Jordan entered the NBA, he was a marked man. In just his third career game, he dropped 37 points, and in his seventh, he faced the Detroit Pistons for the first time. Despite foul trouble early on, Jordan came alive in the second half and scored 25 points, helping the Bulls to a win. Isaiah, however, outshined him statistically with 35 points and 10 assists.

But it wasn’t until the 1985 All-Star Game that the tension boiled over. Jordan, then a rookie, believed Isaiah and other Eastern Conference veterans conspired to “freeze him out”—refusing to pass him the ball. Though statistics didn’t entirely support this theory, the perception of disrespect festered. According to Jordan, it began even earlier—on an elevator ride. “I said hello, how you doing?” Jordan recalled. “And I was told later that I came off arrogant and cold.” To MJ, that misrepresentation was the beginning of a grudge that would last a lifetime.

Jordan’s Revenge & The Birth of a Rivalry

Just days after the All-Star Game, Jordan dropped 49 points against the Pistons. The media labeled it “revenge,” and it was. Jordan was furious, and he let it out on the court.

From there, the rivalry escalated. Though Jordan would go on to torch Detroit with individual performances—like a 61-point masterpiece in 1987—the Bulls kept falling short in the playoffs. Isaiah’s Pistons, dubbed “The Bad Boys,” had developed a brutal defensive strategy known as “The Jordan Rules.” It was basketball warfare: hard fouls, psychological games, and relentless physicality designed to wear down the game’s most electrifying player.

Detroit eliminated Chicago in three consecutive playoff series—1988, 1989, and 1990. To Jordan, it wasn’t just basketball. It was personal.

1991: The Walk-Off That Sealed the Feud

By 1991, the Bulls had evolved. Jordan was stronger, Scottie Pippen was in his prime, and they had help from Horace Grant and coach Phil Jackson. They swept the aging Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals. It wasn’t just a win—it was a statement.

But then came the infamous moment that would define the rivalry forever.

With just seconds left in Game 4, Isaiah Thomas and several Pistons players left the court without shaking hands. They walked past the Bulls bench stone-faced and silent. It was viewed as the ultimate act of poor sportsmanship.

“I didn’t lead the walk-off,” Isaiah later said, trying to deflect blame. “Had I known it would cause this much of a stir, I would’ve shaken hands.”

But for Jordan, the damage was done. “You can show me anything you want,” he said. “There’s no way you can convince me. Two years in a row, we shook their hands when they beat us. That’s sportsmanship.”

The feud, already heated, became volcanic.

The Dream Team Snub

After winning the championship, Jordan’s influence skyrocketed. When the 1992 Dream Team was assembled for the Barcelona Olympics, everyone expected Isaiah Thomas to make the cut. He was, after all, one of the greatest point guards ever—an All-Star nearly every year since his debut.

But he was left off the team.

Rod Thorn, part of the Olympic selection committee, called Jordan to recruit him. MJ asked one simple question: “Who’s playing?” Thorn reportedly assured him, “The guy you’re thinking about won’t be there.”

Jordan has since denied directly asking for Isaiah’s exclusion—but multiple sources, including audio recordings from author Jack McCallum, suggest otherwise. “You know what? Take Isaiah,” Jordan said sarcastically. “He ain’t gonna be part of the team.”

Other players like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Scottie Pippen allegedly didn’t want Isaiah there either. Whether it was personal politics or locker room chemistry, the result was the same: Isaiah was iced out of what became the most iconic basketball team ever assembled.

A Cold War That Never Ended

Even after his retirement, Isaiah often complimented Jordan publicly. During the 1993 NBA Finals, Isaiah—then a broadcaster—praised Jordan’s dominance. But the old resentment never truly faded.

In the early 2000s, Jordan was interviewed by Cigar Aficionado and admitted, “There was some real hatred there… Isaiah was from Chicago. I was the new guy. He wanted to dominate the city, and then I came in.”

John Salley, a teammate of both men, echoed the sentiment. “Isaiah went home, and his nephew was wearing a Bulls Jordan jersey. It made him furious.”

In 2009, Magic Johnson co-wrote When the Game Was Ours, stating that Isaiah “killed his own chances” with the Dream Team. Though Magic later backtracked, the wound had reopened.

The Last Dance — The Final Blow

If the rivalry had cooled down over the decades, the 2020 release of The Last Dance reignited it like gasoline on a flame. The ESPN/Netflix documentary on Jordan’s career spent significant time highlighting the bitterness between MJ and the Pistons. Jordan reiterated his disgust with the 1991 walk-off and accused Isaiah of poor character.

Isaiah was stunned.

“I never knew this dude felt the way he felt until The Last Dance,” he said. “He called me a b**** on national TV and said he hated me. If you didn’t mean it, apologize. If you did—let it ride.”

The Hall of Fame point guard also claimed he helped Jordan settle into Chicago, introducing him to key neighborhoods and protecting his image. “My family took care of him,” Isaiah said. “We made it easy for him on the West Side.”

But after The Last Dance, Isaiah changed his tune. For years, he had listed Jordan as the best player he’d ever seen. Now, he pushed LeBron James to the top of his personal GOAT list.

Avoidance at All Costs

During the NBA’s 75th Anniversary celebration in 2021, when legends from all eras gathered, Jordan and Isaiah kept their distance. Cameras captured them pointedly avoiding each other. The tension was still there. Decades had passed. Nothing had changed.

Meanwhile, Isaiah and Magic Johnson had publicly reconciled on national TV with tears and hugs. But a similar moment with Jordan seems unlikely. Jordan hasn’t spoken to Scottie Pippen in years and hasn’t patched things up with Charles Barkley either. He’s known for holding grudges—and Isaiah Thomas is the grudge of all grudges.

An Unresolved Legacy

So who won the rivalry?

Statistically, Isaiah Thomas holds a 36-29 win-loss record over Jordan, including a 12-10 advantage in the playoffs. But Jordan owns six championships, five MVPs, and arguably the greatest legacy in basketball history. Isaiah, with two titles and no Dream Team inclusion, remains on the outside of one of the sport’s most exclusive clubs.

Ultimately, the feud between Michael Jordan and Isaiah Thomas is more than just stats, wins, and losses. It’s a human story—of pride, perception, respect denied, and wounds never healed.

One thing is certain: when two of the game’s greatest competitors clashed, the NBA—and its fans—were never the same again.

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