"If there's a weak link on your team, oh, we're gonna exploit that!" – Isiah Thomas recalls his "Bad Boys" Pistons days and defeating the best teams of that era

Hall of Famer and Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas recently appeared on Channing Frye's "Full-Bodied" show on YouTube, and they discussed wine, 1980s basketball and how underrated the "Bad Boys" Pistons were. Thomas proclaimed how great their defense was back in the day and how they used it to beat some of the best teams ever.

During the latter part of the interview, Frye pointed out how Thomas and the Pistons defeated three players considered among the 10 greatest of all time: Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls, Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics and Magic Johnson of the LA Lakers. Thomas acknowledged that, and he believes the "Bad Boys" Pistons were probably the greatest defensive team in NBA history.

"You just wasn't going to beat us with talent," Thomas said. "We proved that against the Lakers, Boston and Chicago. You had to come a little bit more than just the best players, because we're going to make you think for two-and-a-half hours and 48 minutes. And if there's a weak link on your team, oh, we're gonna exploit that."

Today's fans probably know Isiah Thomas for his rocky relationship with players such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Scottie Pippen, among others. Thomas and the rest of the "Bad Boys" were universally hated by fans and players.

However, Thomas told Channing Frye the truth. Thomas and the Pistons did beat Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics and Magic Johnson and the LA Lakers. The Pistons were responsible for ending the 1980s Celtics by defeating them in the 1988 Eastern Conference finals.

Isiah Thomas and the Pistons defeated Magic Johnson and the Lakers in the 1989 NBA Finals for the franchise's first championship. During that Bad Boys era, which included a title the following season, they beat up Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and the rest of the Bulls.

Jordan eventually beat Thomas and the Pistons in 1991, starting their own dynasty through the decade. The Bulls went on to win six NBA titles in eight years, with MJ cementing his legacy as quite possibly the greatest basketball player of all time.

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Does Michael Jordan still have beef with Isiah Thomas?

Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas. [Photo Courtesy of The New York Post]

It has been 30 years since Isiah Thomas and the Detroit Pistons were swept by Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the 1991 Eastern Conference finals. With the release of "The Last Dance" documentary series last year, the beef between Jordan and Thomas was revisited.

It all started when the Pistons refused to shake hands with the Bulls after they got swept in 1991. The Pistons beat up Michael and the rest of the Bulls before that, but they did not show any respect. And, of course, Jordan took that personally.

Some said the animosity started in 1985, when Isiah Thomas reportedly started a freezeout of then-rookie Michael Jordan at the All-Star Game. On the other hand, Thomas allegedly did not like how Jordan basically became a god in Chicago, the city where he was born.

In "The Last Dance," Jordan revealed he has the utmost respect for Thomas and admired how good the Pistons point guard was. Isiah did the same thing during his appearances after the documentary, but the beef continued as Thomas still took shots at Michael, who called him an expletive on the documentary.

Nevertheless, nobody questions how great Michael Jordan is, and he's considered by many as the basketball GOAT. As for Isiah Thomas, some players may hate him, but no one can deny he's one of the best players to ever live.