If you watched basketball in the late 1980s and early ’90s, then you probably had an inkling that Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas and Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan did not like each other.
If you believed the idea/theory that Jordan kept Thomas off the 1992 Dream Team, then you definitely picked up on these guys not liking each other. And if you’ve seen “The Last Dance,” or literally any time Jordan or Thomas has spoken publicly about each other in the decades since, you can surmise that these two guys dislike each other.
This is a long-running feud, and observing the personalities and hearing the stories about these two, you know this is never going to be squashed.
In the latest round of Zeke taking a shot at MJ, he was on the “Run It Back” show on FanDuel TV on Thursday with Michelle Beadle, Chandler Parsons and DeMarcus Cousins, who asked Thomas about comparing the eras of Thomas’ “golden age” of hoops to what’s going on today.
Many older players tend to laud how great their personal era was and dismiss more current stars and play. Thomas is one of the few who don’t. Allen Iverson is very appreciative of today’s game, which appears to be a pretty decent contrast to what Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley used to say every week on TNT. Thomas is more in the Iverson camp.
However, I wonder if it’s genuine or part of a campaign to discredit Jordan’s legacy … or maybe both? This is how Thomas answered Cousins.
Isiah Thomas doesn’t understand why Michael Jordan is still in GOAT convos with LeBron 🤯
“Y’all treat LeBron like he ain’t noting…when y’all talk about the greatest, y’all talk about the guy that gave you some shoes.”@MichelleDBeadle | @boogiecousins | @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/tcaFT0lGJc
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 8, 2026
First of all, the levels of pettiness are incredibly impressive. I can tell Thomas has carefully curated his argument, shaped it and decided the latest software update to his part in the debate is the right way to go. It is fueled by pettiness, but some of it is justified, for sure. If I were Thomas, I’d still be furious that I was left off the 1992 U.S. Olympics men’s basketball roster. I’d want my gold medal. I’m guessing that gold medal from the 1979 Pan American Games in San Juan doesn’t gleam the same way that Olympic gold does.
And Thomas’ incredible career, which features two NBA championships, is definitely something to herald. He’s one of the best we’ve ever seen play the point guard position. However, “You were being petty. … Tom Petty.”
Let’s dig into the entry statement of Thomas’ latest attempt to discredit Jordan before we get into the best part of this whole endeavor.
Thomas gives this claim about the Cousins-Parsons generation of players:
“You guys are playing with arguably the greatest player to ever play. And excuse me when I say this, but y’all treat him like he ain’t nothing. Instead of pumping y’all era up, y’all go back and say, ‘Our era was the greatest. Nobody can ever be better than Michael Jordan, right?’ OK. Then you turn around, but in your era, LeBron James is sitting there; he holding every single basketball record. I mean, every single one of them. And you’re looking at a Kevin Durant, and you’re looking at a Steph Curry. But then when y’all say who’s the greatest, y’all talk about the guy who gave you some shoes and gave you some warm-ups.”
Excuse me, Mr. Thomas. “The guy who gave you some shoes and gave you some warm-ups?”
That is cold, dismissive and pure hatred. I do think players should love the era in which they played. I think people should love the basketball era that shaped their fandom. But that doesn’t mean you have to blindly cape for it.
I believe a lot of people from the current era — aside from maybe Dillon Brooks — respect LeBron James and give him his due. But I would also argue that a lot of people from the era Zeke is challenging actually end up ranking Kobe Bryant ahead of LeBron. You hear that a lot with players from the last decade or so, and there have been many arguments on the internet about Kobe being better than LeBron and the actual challenger to Jordan for the title of greatest.
However, where I would push back on Thomas with his comments regarding the treatment like he’s nothing is that the internetification (let’s make that a word) of assessment or comparison in general has to be removed from the conversation. For the people who believe Jordan is the best, I’d assume a good majority of them would consider LeBron to be the second greatest.
That’s not an insult. If you told me I have the second-best basketball newsletter, no part of me would reply with, “Hey, what the hell?!” And I’m a psychotically competitive person. It’s like when you tell someone on the internet you like waffles, and their response is, “What, no love for pancakes?!” It’s a ridiculous way to view things, as only one thing can be great and the rest must be something you hate.
Now, let’s get into the best part of this entire argument from Thomas. It starts with this quote:
“Here’s what will make you change your mind or, at least, critically think about. I’m a historian of the game. I’m not a hater. When I speak facts, people think it’s hate. In no sports category — when we talk about track, when we talk about tennis, when we talk about football, baseball — arguably the best players or athletes in those sports, they hold the world records. I know we talk about Jordan, but he leads in no statistical basketball categories. But yet, we say there’s an argument about him being the best. Then when you look at Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) and you look at LeBron, those guys lead in several statistical categories, but yet we say somebody else is better. I’m just giving you the evidence.”
Tremendous. Any time someone starts an argument with “I’m not a hater,” you know they’re about to hate.
He said he speaks facts and then gives an opinion on criteria. Thomas talks about how in track, tennis, football and baseball, the best athletes in the sport hold the world records. When it comes to track, he has a point. Usain Bolt is probably considered the best ever in men’s track, and he holds the world records in the 100 and 200 meters.
Tennis? I’m not so sure that’s as clear-cut in men’s tennis. Football does not view things that way, because what does that even mean? Best quarterback? Most would say Tom Brady; he has records. Best receiver? Most would say Jerry Rice; he has records. Best running back? Plenty would say Barry Sanders — and he doesn’t hold the records.
Baseball? I don’t even know where to begin with saying what the world record is that makes someone the best. It’s probably Barry Bonds, and he holds some records, but not all of them.
Jordan actually does hold a few NBA records. He has the highest scoring averages in regular-season and postseason history. He also holds the record for most NBA Finals MVP awards.
LeBron undoubtedly has the most impressive NBA résumé with his records and career. If you want to extend a basketball résumé to include college and high school, you won’t find a better one than Kareem. If you want to start cherry-picking which NBA records count, then maybe you take Jordan out of the conversation.
However, I’m just speaking facts the way Isiah was speaking facts there. You know … giving an opinion and telling you it’s evidence.
Regardless of where you stand on the argument, there is no arguing that Thomas’ feud with Jordan will never stop being petty. And I’m here for all of its entertainment.
