“They’re arch rivals, they are blood rivals… It’s gotten bloodier than ever” - Skip Bayless says Isiah Thomas has got no use for Michael Jordan, claims Thomas trying to make GOAT case for LeBron is "Jordan hating"
Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan have never been afraid to let their feelings toward each other be known. Thomas recently applauded LeBron James for his scoring prowess and how he will soon own the scoring record. NBA analyst Skip Bayless believes this is just another way for Thomas to spew hate about Jordan.
Thomas was one of the top point guards in the league and was the floor general for the infamous "Bad Boys" Detroit Pistons team. Jordan was one of the top players in basketball and won six championships with the Chicago Bulls.
Throughout their careers, Jordan and Thomas had some of the most physical battles in the NBA, particularly in the playoffs. It played a large part in a rivalry that continued beyond just the basketball court. Isiah Thomas recently took to social media to praise Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, with the forward poised to break the all-time scoring record.
He will be the all time leader in points scored in the @nba and he has never been viewed as a score first player @KingJames
On FS1's "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed," Bayless claimed that the tweet was another chapter of the rivalry between Thomas and Michael Jordan.
"Isiah's got no use for Michael Jeffrey Jordan. They're arch rivals, they are blood rivals, you know and I know what happened, starting with the 1985 All-Star Game. Michael's first he felt like Isaiah and company other veterans froze him out of the game.
"And then Isaiah believed that Michael froze Isaiah out of even getting on the Dream Team. And that's probably true. OK, so there are multiple layers of animosity operating here that as we saw in 'The Last Dance' documentary, it still operates. It's gotten bloodier than ever so clearly."
After discussing their rivalry in-depth, Bayless then went on to state that he believes the tweet was Thomas' way of saying that LeBron is the greatest ever. In his tweet, the former Detroit Pistons legend went on to praise the Lakers superstar, saying he's going to pass the all-time scoring record despite never being "viewed as a score-first player."
Bayless was quick to disagree with that sentiment as well.
"You have to look through this tweet from Isiah. It's a Jordan hating tweet as he tries to make the case that LeBron is the GOAT. I'm sorry the first narrative is so bogus to me because whoever said LeBron isn't a score first?
"He's a natural-born scorer. He shoots and he scores. He scores a lot. He's not pass first. He is a great passer. I still think he's the best passer to this day in basketball today but he will shoot first."
Are Skip Bayless' comments on Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan justified?
There's no denying that the rivalry between the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls was one of the best in the NBA. Right in the middle of the rivalry were Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan.
There was bad blood between the two due to the infamous Dream Team selection sage when Isiah Thomas was famously left off of the team. The bad blood has spilled over into their retirement as well. While Thomas could have simply been pointing out how remarkable LeBron James' accomplishments are, it's clear that Skip Bayless isn't sold on the idea.
Regardless of what Thomas' real intentions were, it's clear that the GOAT debate between LeBron and MJ will rage on for years.