Isiah Thomas Remains Open to Making Amends With Michael Jordan: ‘I’m Not Afraid of Anybody’
Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan experienced many memorable moments against each other. The battles between the two all-time greats bled over into forming a rocky relationship. However, the former Detroit Pistons great may have provided a scenario that could fix the fractured connection.
Isiah Thomas’ damaged relationship with Michael Jordan
It’s well known that Thomas and Jordan hold a longstanding fractured relationship.
The tension between the two former stars lies with their intertwining illustrious NBA careers. Thomas’ Bad Boys Pistons teams remained a thorn in Jordan’s side for several years.
He finally led Chicago past Detroit in 1991 to push toward his first of six NBA titles. The friction surfaced again after Jordan played a significant part in preventing Thomas from joining the 1992 Olympic Dream Team.
Since then, their standing hasn’t gotten any better. However, the former Pistons great may have set the stage for that to finally happen.
Isiah Thomas remains open to making amends with Michael Jordan: ‘I’m not afraid of anybody’
For more than three decades, Jordan and Thomas haven’t exactly seen eye-to-eye.
The competitive nature of their rivalry sparked some entertaining moments, but it hasn’t seen their relationship improve. In other words, things remain unresolved between the Hall of Famers.
During an interview with Brandon Robinson of Heavy.com, Thomas revealed that he didn’t know that Jordan hated him until he watched ESPN’s “The Last Dance” docuseries. Thomas also stated in other interviews that he was unaware that of the lingering disdain.
Despite all that, the 60-year-old voiced that he isn’t fearful of sitting down with the former Bulls great.
“I’m not afraid of anybody,” Thomas said. “I’ll sit down and speak with anyone. Anyone who’s been around me. I’m not one who walks around with fear.”
The estranged standing between them does not sit entirely with Thomas as he stated last year to Danny Green and Harrison Sanford on the Inside the Green Room podcast that he holds “no bitterness or hatred in my heart” toward Jordan.
“I don’t know [where our relationship stands now]. I mean really, I thought everything was alright,” Thomas said via Pistons Powered. “I mean, I’ve been to dinner with he and Ahmad Rashad, you know as you can see I covered his games when I was working for NBC, you know, really I didn’t know it was this kind of ice, but, really, I have no bitterness or hatred in my heart,” Thomas said.
Ultimately, the onus may be on Jordan to finally amend the longstanding rift.
Fixed his relationship with Magic Johnson
Thomas‘ comments toward Jordan shouldn’t be seen as a whistle in the wind as he previously amended another fractured relationship.
In late 2017, the former Pistons great sat down for an extensive interview with Magic Johnson on behalf of NBA TV. The discussion culminated with an emotional embrace between the two Hall of Famers.
Granted, the relationship between the two legendary point guards is much different, but it shows that Thomas is open to fixing the connection.
The question becomes whether Jordan will adhere to that arrangement. The Last Dance documentary laid out that the former Bulls great still holds resentment toward Thomas.
Another possible hurdle could be whether Jordan would want that meeting televised as it’s a personal issue he holds with his former longtime rival. Many factors could negatively impact the chances of the scenario playing out.
Nonetheless, Thomas got the ball rolling toward the two finally finding mutual peace.
