Former NBA MVP (and one-time Piston) Derrick Rose recently did an exclusive interview with Hoopshype and was asked about his pick for the Greatest Of All Time. Common picks among current and recent NBA players would be Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant but Rose surprised with his answer: Pistons legend Isiah Thomas.
Rose acknowledged that his appreciation for Thomas does stem from their shared background as Chicago point guards. Rose’s Chicago roots are well-documented, as he grew up in the area and had his best years including his MVP campaign with the Bulls. Thomas’ ties to Chicago are not as well-known and he may even have become public enemy #1 there during his prime, when his Bad Boy Pistons stood as the biggest obstacle to a young Michael Jordan.
Isiah Thomas: A Historically Underrated Player
While most people would not rate Isiah Thomas above Jordan or LeBron as an individual player, he is still an all-time great who deserves his flowers. He has become criminally underrated in recent years as fans have forgotten his individual greatness.
Thomas is now best remembered as a member of a legendary team, which also inspired Rose’s pick, but he also had 5five straight seasons averaging at least 20 points AND 10 assists per game before sacrificing individual stats for team success. But it is his leadership of the Bad Boys that has truly cemented his place in history.
Derrick Rose cited Thomas’ wins against Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird as criterion for being his personal GOAT. Thomas and the Pistons had success with back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990, beating all three of those legends in the playoffs in the process.
This would not have been possible without Thomas taking a step back to allow other Pistons, such as Joe Dumars, to thrive. The Pistons now have another transcendent point guard in Cade Cunningham and hope that his surrounding cast proves enough for him to take a similar step back in upcoming seasons.
IT’s lack of ball dominance cost him his individual stats (he went from 21 points and 14 assists per game in 1985 to 18 points and 9 assists per game in 1990) and potential accolades such as the 1992 Dream Team but he knew it was best for the team. The Pistons’ championship teams, whether it was the Bad Boys or the 2004 Goin’ To Work team, were always characterized by defense and unselfishness. And that mindset really did start from the top with Thomas as the leader of the team. Hopefully the Pistons can build something similar around Cade Cunningham too.
Isiah Thomas may not have been as individually dominant as Michael Jordan or LeBron James, but he is an all-time great who was exactly what the Pistons needed. His career trajectory shows the trade-off between individual and team success for most NBA players, even those at the highest level. It was good to hear his name mentioned in the most contentious debate among NBA fans.