Arsenio Hall Show Isiah Thomas of Detroit Pistons 1989

[@h.s936]

I still believe he is underrated.....Thomas was amazing

[@plainsimple244]

Now this is the height of the Pistons' success, they just finished game 3 going into game 4 in the 1989 NBA Finals and here you see Thomas praising Michael Jordan saying he's the best by far, so there's no animosity of Isiah Thomas against Michael Jordan or Thomas trying to slight Jordan in any way -- someone else can be the best individual player but you can still beat them and that's what the Pistons were doing, beating Jordan.

[@ralphortiz8195]

Thays a fact. Until the bulls swept the piatons and beat them so bad that isaiah didn't wanna shake "the best's" hand

[@plainsimple244]

@@ralphortiz8195 They didn't have to shake hands, it was pro basketball...Jordan just wanted to shake hands because he wanted everyone to think like him; besides, Isiah Thomas gave the Bulls that series, handed it to Jordan only taking 9 shots in game 1 and 9 shots in game 2. So that was done on purpose.

[@CoachTae]

@plain simple gave it to Jordan? Are you kidding me. The Bulls took it!! And never looked back from that point on.

[@plainsimple244]

@@CoachTae Took It: How did the Bulls beat the Pistons in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals? Why didn't they beat the same team a year earlier and a year before that and a year before that?... Tell me. It's not like they lost to different teams.... The Pistons were the same team minus Mahorn in 1989-90... so why didn't the Bulls beat them then but beat them in 1990-91? There's a reason for this. Surely you must know the answer, right?...It's the 'great' Michael Jordan. Now people blame the Bulls but the truth is you have to look ALWAYS at the losing team. 1990-91 Pistons: They were going for a 3-peat, right?... Four straight trips to the Finals. Jordan had to retire twice after going to three straight NBA Finals, Thomas is going for his fourth. Magic from 1982-85, '87-'89; Bird from 1984-1987.... So why did Jordan have to retire?... So we see as Jordan didn't 'look back' he got burned out, you see? So what happened with the Pistons -- they were injured: Thomas with wrist surgery missing 34 games and the ankle injury missing games 2 and 4 coming off the bench in the 2nd round; Dumars had the groin/toe injury and Salley, Edwards, and Aguirre had back injuries -- so that's 5 guys in the 8 man rotation that were injured.... So when people say the Pistons 'got old' -- NO!... In the 1990-91 season they were injured 100%... Then what happened? 9 Shots: Isiah Thomas took only 9 shots in game 1 and 9 shots in game 2 of the 1991 ECF. Now if you take only 9 shots in each of the first two games, do you really want to win?... Seriously, your best player doing this?... Let Jordan take 9 shots in game 1 and 9 shots in game 2 in that series, what happens?... What about in '93 doing it vs. the Knicks, what would have taken place? People would have known Jordan wasn't trying to win. It's the same with Thomas but people hate Isiah Thomas and loved Jordan so they see nothing of it. Daly: Look at the Pistons in 1991 vs. 1990, Daly went small vs. Chicago in '91 with Aguirre and Rodman giving Chicago the front court/rebounding advantage while he played 3 guards while leaving one of the two in there...also in game 2, Salley and Edwards didn't get time...why? Back problems. HAHAHA! The truth is in the 'Dream Team' documentary coach K talked about how Daly wouldn't make adjustments to get the attention of the pros vs. the college players to enable the college guys to win; the same Daly did in the ECF, he didn't make any adjustments. This is what took place in the ECF -- go look at it in 1990 vs. 91. The Offense: The Pistons NEVER ran their offense -- go look; just go look at them in the series vs. Boston (even with Thomas injured) and look at them vs. Chicago -- they didn't run their offensive sets through or go to even a third option in a set, they didn't attack the rim vs. Chicago consistently as they had in the past and look at it in games 1-3, especially game 3, Thomas didn't run the offense as the point guard, he was passive; so taking only 9 shots in each of the first 3 games and not running the offense, do you really want to win? The Break Up: Isiah Thomas was President of the Player's Association, he knew what the league was doing in pushing the Jordan-era and he knew what the Pistons' organization was doing. So Pistons, GM, Jack McCloskey who was on the Olympic Team selection committee and Daly who was the coach; McCloskey in the summer of 1991 waived Vinnie Johnson and traded James Edwards -- even if you legit lost to Chicago in '91 due to injuries, why wouldn't you keep that team together to try and compete for titles? ... Why? So from 1989-1993 the Pistons lost Rick Mahorn in 1989, Vinnie Johnson/Edwards in '91 and Salley in 1992, so who benefited from that time? Look Back: See this makes it 100 times easier for Chicago to 3-peat when their only competition was injured and then broke up their title-contending team ON PURPOSE.... The Pistons captain took 9 shots in game 1 and 9 shots in game 2 in the 1991 ECF ON PURPOSE.... The Pistons walked-off ON PURPOSE!!! The 3 guys who led the infamous 'walk-off' were all from Chicago: Mark Aguirre, Bill Laimbeer, and Isiah Thomas. Politics: The Politics behind the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals is that Chuck Daly was named Olympic Team coach even though Riley had more rings... Isiah Thomas, President of the Player's Association fought to make sure players had a 53% revenue share with the owners and the NBA just signed a new deal with NBC in the start of that season. The Olympics was coming up and the NBA was opening up those global markets, so companies like Nike, Hanes, McDonald's, Gatorade, Chevrolet, Wheaties... so who is the #1 money-maker for the NBA? Jordan. Remember, Magic/Bird are getting old ...so there's only 1 guy beating Jordan every single year -- the President of the Player's Association -- Isiah Thomas. So guess what happened? In Jan of 1991, he suddenly has a wrist injury and misses 34 games with wrist surgery -- remember he was supposed to be out that entire season.... So why would he come back?... Remember, it had to be Jordan overcoming the Pistons -- that was 'the story'... Go back and look at the X-mas pregame show Riley and Costas did on NBC in the Pistons/Bulls game, Riley gave it away saying it was going to be Chicago beating Detroit this season...so Thomas merely stepped aside and the Pistons broke up that championship-contending roster ON PURPOSE.

[@PIP...33]

@@ralphortiz8195 NO DERANGED UNTIL JORDAN CRY TO DAVID STERN TO CHANGE SOFTEN THE RULES. ZEKE STILL OWNS HIM IN CAREER SEASON OR PLAYOFF RECORDS EVEY 80S TEAM AND PLAYERS OWN JORDAN EVEN MONCRIEF WHO HASNT EVEN VOTE FOR 75 MEMBERS HALL OF FAME

[@kel-melprevail8127]

10:23 the Goat

[@lrg123100]

That's how he talked Jordan before the dream team documentary and The last dance

[@lerebele1]

Funny they play the Jackson five song. Isaiah always looked like a long lost brother of theirs.

[@abrahamalvarez8321]

Until the Bulls sweept the Pistons😅 Pistons 2-1 Bulls 6-0

[@tolicelawrence461]

It was more than that.

[@PIP...33]

HAVLICEK 8-0 IN A ROW. GOAT JOHN 8 IN ROW > BULLS RIGGED 2 THREE PEATS

[@Jmar-kx3ec]

@@PIP...33…. With some of the former Bad Boys…… Like Aresnio use to say hummmmm !!!

[@thebestchannel5456]

Yeah, finally, after Detroit used to destroy them every year 😂 You seem Detroit had to get through Boston the Lakers, hell, even little Chicago. Detroit actually taught chraq how to be champions 😊

[@thebestchannel5456]

​​@@PIP...33Of course they were rigged the NBA is still mad at Detroit for not letting Jordan get a championship first oh well 😮