“Scottie Pippen was the Bulls’ best defender, facts over fiction, no salt” - Isiah Thomas responds to claims that he’s still "salty" at Michael Jordan

While Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan were in the NBA, they did not get along. Their bitter, feisty rivalry on the court led to passive-aggressive interactions off the court, which continues to this day. The latest salvo? Thomas said Scottie Pippen was the Chicago Bulls' best defender.

On ESPN’s “First Take,” Thomas, a two-time NBA champion in his own right, said that LeBron James was the “GOAT” of the NBA. Thomas argued that James is the best all-around player in NBA history.

A fan responded to the Twitter post by “First Take,” saying:

“You can tell that @IsiahThomas is still salty at MJ. Almost a good point, but no Isiah I take a guy that is 6 for 6 in the finals, a guy that was the best defender and scorer on multiple occasions 10/10. Just because the dude hates you, doesn’t take away from reality. #comeonman”

Thomas then responded:

“Opinion is the distance you travel between naive and knowledge @FlorentGroberg #scottiepipin was the #bulls best defender #facts over #fiction no salt.”

Pippen and Jordan were elite defenders and were a big reason the Bulls won six NBA Finals in eight years.

Jordan was a nine-time All-Defensive team selection, while Pippen was a 10-time selection. Pippen never won a Defensive Player of the Year award like Jordan did in 1987-88. Jordan also led the league in steals three times, while Pippen only did so once. That happened in 1994-95, when Jordan played only 17 games at the end of the season.

Thomas could have gone a different route and said Dennis Rodman was the best defender. "The Worm" won two Defensive Player of the Year awards and was an eight-time All-Defensive team selection. Rodman played only three seasons with Chicago. He played seven with Thomas on the Detroit Pistons, winning two championships together.

It seems a bit “salty” on Thomas' part to overlook Jordan as a defender. He was one of the best defenders in the league early in nine of his first 13 seasons. Yes, Pippen carried more of the defensive load over time, but a lot of that was because Jordan had to carry the offense. When the playoffs started, Jordan often stepped more into the role of defensive stopper.

Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas’s history

Michael Jordan at the 2022 NBA All-Star Game

Michael Jordan and the Bulls faced Isiah Thomas and the Pistons in four straight playoffs, with Thomas winning the first three while going to three straight NBA Finals. That era unfolded right when Jordan was reaching his full powers, and he finally had a decent team around him. At that point in Jordan's career, Thomas and the “Bad Boy" Pistons always stood in the way.

The constant battles between the two produced a heated rivalry. It was only made worse by the Pistons' style of play, particularly in their strategy against Jordan. Thomas is often seen as the mastermind behind the physical style. The Pistons created the “Jordan Rules.” That strategy stipulated that when Jordan got into the paint, there were no easy layups, that he would be fouled hard.

Detroit played a more physical brand – just being ruthless overall and often fighting on the court – that the younger Chicago team could not handle. That was a massive reason for the Bulls' three straight playoff losses to the Pistons.

The Bulls finally matched the Pistons' physicality and demolished them in a sweep of the 1990-91 Eastern Conference finals. The “Bad Boy" Pistons were true to their name, infamously walking off the court before the final buzzer in the last game. Thomas was seen as the main antagonist in that walkoff, as Jordan felt, rightfully, disrespected.

The story didn't end here. Thomas was left off the “Dream Team” roster in 1992, despite being one of the NBA's best point guards. While Thomas was unpopular with many, he has held the grudge that Jordan was influential in keeping him off the team. That brought the on-court rivalry off the court and into the real world, and it seems that has never been resolved.

Jordan still has feelings towards Thomas, calling him an “asshole” in Jordan’s ESPN "30 for 30" documentary series titled the “Last Dance.” Thomas is featured in another "30 for 30," titled “Bad Boys,” that details that team. Both are must-watch documentaries for any NBA fan.

Jordan and Thomas formed one of the best rivalries in the NBA for years, as both were at the top of their game. The bitterness on the court has carried over into off-court pettiness deep into their retirements.

tirements.

tirements.