Why do Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Jordan hate Isiah Thomas so much?

[keep-itreal]

:confusedshrug:

also, anyone who has watched 80s basketball, how would you rank isiah thomas on the greatest point guards and why?

[StateOfMind12]

Isiah Thomas is one of the most overrated players of all-time. I'm mainly talking about how he is rated and perceived today.

It's funny because back when the Pistons were dominant and champions, people always questioned who was the best player on the Pistons between Dumars and Isiah. Those Pistons team technically had no standout superstar or all-star on their team but for whatever reason Isiah gets all the credit now a days.

1. Magic Johnson
2. Oscar Robertson
3. Walt Frazier
4. Steve Nash
5. Isiah Thomas

I have Nash ranked above Isiah. I use to have Isiah ranked above him but after doing some thinking I've decided to put Nash above Isiah.

[Harison]

1. Magic Johnson
2. Oscar Robertson
3. Walt Frazier
4. Steve Nash
5. Isiah Thomas

I have Nash ranked above Isiah. I use to have Isiah ranked above him but after doing some thinking I've decided to put Nash above Isiah.

Nash over Isiah is ridiculous. Most here would agree Kidd has a good argument over Nash, and he barely is Top10 PG of All-time.

[StateOfMind12]

Nash over Isiah is ridiculous. Most here would agree Kidd has a good argument over Nash, and he barely is Top10 PG of All-time.
I know that there are a decent amount of people that believe Kidd should be ranked above Nash but I'm more than positive the majority believe that Nash is ranked above Kidd though. With that being said, there aren't many people that believe Nash is not a top 10 PG of all-time because that is just an asinine statement to make.

[Harison]

I know that there are a decent amount of people that believe Kidd should be ranked above Nash but I'm more than positive the majority believe that Nash is ranked above Kidd though. With that being said, there aren't many people that believe Nash is not a top 10 PG of all-time because that is just an asinine statement to make.

I didnt said Nash isnt in Top10, I said Isiah is obviously ranked higher than Nash (or Kidd, etc). In vast majority of lists Isiah is either 3rd or 4th. Nash isnt in Top5.

[Shepseskaf]

I didnt said Nash isnt in Top10, I said Isiah is obviously ranked higher than Nash (or Kidd, etc). In vast majority of lists Isiah is either 3rd or 4th. Nash isnt in Top5.
:applause:

[Lebron23]

Isiah Thomas is one of the most overrated players of all-time. I'm mainly talking about how he is rated and perceived today.

It's funny because back when the Pistons were dominant and champions, people always questioned who was the best player on the Pistons between Dumars and Isiah. Those Pistons team technically had no standout superstar or all-star on their team but for whatever reason Isiah gets all the credit now a days.

1. Magic Johnson
2. Oscar Robertson
3. Walt Frazier
4. Steve Nash
5. Isiah Thomas

I have Nash ranked above Isiah. I use to have Isiah ranked above him but after doing some thinking I've decided to put Nash above Isiah.


You are clearly an idiot or a mentally retarded Yao Ming fan. Isiah Thomas and the Bad Boys Pistons are the only NBA team who defeated the Showtime Lakers, Bird's Celtics, and Jordan's Bulls in the playoffs.

[KevinNYC]

:confusedshrug:

also, anyone who has watched 80s basketball, how would you rank isiah thomas on the greatest point guards and why?

I don't think Bird hated him. There was the famous incident right after Boston eliminated Detroit in the 1987 Playoffs. Bird had just scored 37 (http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198705300BOS.html) points against them and Rodman after the game said that Bird was overrated because he was white and Isiah agreed with him.


The Detroit Pistons, for whom Rodman was a rookie forward, had just been beaten 117-114 by the Boston Celtics in the seventh game of last season's NBA Eastern Conference finals, and Rodman was furious with the Celtics and the taunting Boston Garden crowd, and he ached for one last chance to get back at them. He said, " Larry Bird is overrated in a lot of areas. I don't think he's the greatest player. He's way overrated." These derogatory words about Bird, widely acclaimed as the NBA's best or, at worst, second-best player, felt good as they came cascading out. "Why does he get so much publicity?" Rodman continued. "Because he's white. You never hear about a black player being the greatest." From where he was sitting nearby, Detroit teammate Isiah Thomas agreed that if Bird were black, "he'd be just another good guy."

This caused a big deal in the press and Isiah called Bird immediately aftewards to apologize. Bird said, that he didn't care what people said about him and didn't think Isiah had to apologize, but he wanted Isiah to talk to his Mom, because she was a big Isiah Thomas fan since his days in Indiana University.

With Jordan, there was a lingering dislike. Jordan felt that Thomas "froze him out" during his first All-Star game and wouldn't give him the ball. Also when the Bulls finally got past the Piston in 1991, Daly pulled the starters from the floor so the home crowd could cheer them and then they left the bench with 8 seconds left and went to the locker room. They wouldn't shake hands with the Bulls.

The biggest issue was Magic. Magic and Thomas were very close friends for years, but when Magic got HIV, he felt Thomas was spreading rumors about him that he was gay. Magic said this is his book (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/ian_thomsen/10/22/isiah.magic/?cnn=yes) with Bird from a couple of years ago.

There was also a bit of controversy over whether Bird should make the Olympic team as his back was in rough shape. Jordan told them he wanted to play with Larry Bird and wouldn't join the team if Bird didn't play.

[blablabla]

thomas is the 2nd best pg of all time

[JellyBean]

I think that it was because Isiah never tried to kiss their a*^.

[InspiredLebowski]

It still cracks me up that the first thing Bird did when he came back to the Pacers was fire Zeke.

[JellyBean]

thomas is the 2nd best pg of all time

I agree totally. And if Magic is not #1...we gotta talk...:oldlol:

[Kevin_Gamble]

:confusedshrug:

also, anyone who has watched 80s basketball, how would you rank isiah thomas on the greatest point guards and why?

Doesn't Jordan hate everybody?

[KevinNYC]

It still cracks me up that the first thing Bird did when he came back to the Pacers was fire Zeke.

Considering he replaced Isiah with Rick Carlisle, I think you could make a strong argument, that it was done for "basketball reasons."

[El Kabong]

Weren't they responsible for John Stockton getting the nod over Isiah for the '92 Dream Team as well?

[KevinNYC]

Weren't they responsible for John Stockton getting the nod over Isiah for the '92 Dream Team as well?

Yes, for the reasons given above. Here's what Sports Illustrated (http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=4909#ixzz1nDOQoEoV)reported when the book came out.

[QUOTE]Magic also admits that he joined with Michael Jordan and other players in blackballing Thomas from the 1992 Olympic Dream Team, saying,

[jlip]

Thanks to KevinNYC for actually answering the OP's question.

[guy]

Froze out Jordan in his first all-star game.
Said Bird was overrated cause he was white.
Questioned Magic's sexuality.

[Lebron23]

Cause he beat all of them.

[r0drig0lac]

Cause he beat all of them.

this

[trada7029]

Because he was a weasel

[The Iron Fist]

He beat all of them on the way to being a back to back champion. That’s some pretty boss stuff right there. He gets underrated because the other stars don’t like him but he deserves just as much recognition.