In the debates about whether Michael Jordan or Lebron James is the best player in the history of the NBA, one of the recurring arguments is the intensity and aggressiveness of the league in MJ's time. In the 80's and 90's, games were much rougher, and basketball was played much more in the paint, and most importantly, n o one was afraid to express their dislike for opponents. If everyone knows Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, it is however essential to put them in the context of the NBA of the time to measure the rivalry that opposed them to the Detroit Pistons and Isiah Thomas. The Lakers are schematically presented as the great team of the 80s and the Bulls as the one of the 90s, but between the two are the Pistons. Led by Isiah Thomas, a very talented point guard drafted in 81, the Pistons had good seasons but came up against the Celtics and especially the Lakers in the playoffs, especially in the 88 final. But the following season, Thomas is at the head of a team of Bad Boys, including the fantastic Dennis Rodman, future teammate of Jordan, and the vicious Bill Laimbeer. They beat the Bulls in the conference finals and then the Lakers in the championship finals, thanks to a physical and dominant style. The following season, the Pistons achieved the double, confirming their status as a collective steamroller.
At the beginning of the 90-91 season, Jordan's message to his Bulls teammates was clear: after three consecutive losses to the Pistons in the last three seasons, enough was enough. With the new coach Phil Jackson arrived in 89 their time had come. In the conference finals, the two rival teams faced each other again; this time, the Bulls opted for a more collective game, less dependent on Jordan who always had two Pistons players on him. The victory is acquired, and Thomas and his teammates leave the court at the end of the game without shaking hands with the Chicago players, which is extremely badly perceived by the Bulls but by NBA fans as a whole. Jordan gloats. In the championship finals, they beat the Lakers and won their first NBA title. The next two seasons, the Bulls will again win the national title, while the Pistons return to the row, weakened by an injured Thomas who will retire in 94. The Bulls will then know a stop, related to the first retirement of Michael Jordan. With his return in '95, the Chicago franchise will return to the top, achieving a new triple crown from 96 to 98. Although Jordan has undoubtedly had a better career, Thomas has 36 wins against 29 in their clashes, and he is also in the Hall of Fame.
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