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Isiah Thomas Questions Michael Jordan’s Legacy Had Kevin Durant And LeBron James Played In The 80s

Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas experienced a ruthless competition against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The Bad Boys Pistons were an obstacle that Jordan couldn’t clear. The heated matchups between Isiah and Jordan eventually formed a bitter atmosphere between the two.

The former Pistons point guard recently sat down with Fox Sports’ Chris Broussard to talk about today’s generation. Thomas wasn’t hesitant to open up the potential of Kevin Durant and LeBron James, if the two had played in the 80s.

“I think this generation [of players] is not getting enough credit for what they’re doing… Because the athletes that are in this generation are so far superior than what was in my generation. [When we were playing], Jordan was the best athlete that we had ever seen, [but] from an athletic standpoint, there are like 10 or 11 guys in the NBA right now with Jordan’s athleticism. We didn’t have that back then. With what [Kevin Durant] and LeBron are doing, if you put them back in the era of the ’80s, with their talent, their athleticism and their skill, who’s the GOAT?”

“What KD and LeBron are doing, if you put them back in the era of 80s with their talent, athleticism and skill… Who’s the GOAT?”
@IsiahThomas explains to @Chris_Broussard why this generation doesn’t get enough credit pic.twitter.com/orgM5kr2t6

— The Association on FOX (@TheAssociation) April 24, 2020

Isiah Thomas was a competitive basketball player who didn’t back down against the Chicago Bulls legend. But the feud probably went beyond the on court happenings. After Jordan’s team beat the Pistons in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals, Thomas was seen leaving the court, unwilling to shake hands. There were also speculations that Jordan kept the Pistons superstar out of the 1992 Dream Team.

Having said that, it could be argued that the way Isiah uplifts Durant and LeBron is a subtle jab to question Jordan’s GOAT status. On the other hand, this could be seen as a fair recognition to both modern superstars. Even so, Isiah Thomas has a valid point about the athletic superiority of today’s athletes. With the improvement in sports science, nutrition, training, equipment and medicine, today’s players are more likely to develop a superior athleticism.