"He probably gets the least amount of respect out of all players in NBA history" - Charles Barkley takes issue with how Isiah Thomas is categorized by his peers
Isiah Thomas was not the most likable player during his active years.
He never cared, because he never played for applause or approval, he played to win. And in doing so, he led the Detroit Pistons into the fire of the 1980s and early '90s with a grin that annoyed opponents and a grit that inspired his teammates.
He was the architect of the Bad Boys era, a dynasty built on defense and unapologetic swagger. But what he likely didn't expect is that the identity he embraced — on behalf of a team that never tried to be loved, would shadow him well after he left the game.
Judging Thomas
In retirement, Thomas has often found himself on the margins of legacy discussions, excluded from lists, passed over in documentaries and frequently positioned as a footnote next to his contemporaries.
It doesn't take away the fact that he is one of the greatest point guards, but his reputation continues to tell another, shaped less by stats and accolades and more by emotion and resentment.
"I love Isiah…he probably gets the least amount of respect out of all the great players in NBA history," said Charles Barkley.
Barkley voiced what many around the league have only hinted at over the years, that Thomas is given a raw deal when it comes to his legacy. It's not a wild claim. Thomas was the leader of one of the most dominant and most hated teams in NBA history. The Bad Boy Pistons weren't built for aesthetics. They didn't sell dreams; they sold bruises. But they won in an era dominated by the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics and they kicked the door open with defense and bruising play.
When Michael Jordan came into the picture, Thomas and the Pistons frustrated him and bundled him and the Chicago Bulls out of the playoffs in three straight postseasons in '88, '89 and '90. It is perceived that a rivalry or beef has formed between the icons.
The image that continues to haunt Thomas, however, is that infamous walk-off at the end of the 1991 Eastern Conference finals. With just seconds left on the clock and the Bulls about to sweep the Pistons, Thomas and his teammates left the court without shaking hands. No words and no nods, just a silent exit that quickly became interpreted as a sore-loser move.
The grudge never really faded. Jordan, even in "The Last Dance" documentary, made it clear he hadn't let it go. The media echoed the sentiment. And suddenly, Isiah's omission from the 1992 Dream Team didn't feel like a snub, it felt deliberate.Barkley's call for calm
The media fed off a supposed beef between Jordan and Thomas and it became a decade-long one which was amplified when The Last Dance was released. To Barkley, this decades-long cold war could've thawed with a simple gesture with both legends sitting together and talking.
"But all they had to do to put out this brush fire is, 'Hey, we were wrong, we should have shook your hand,'" Barkley said. "You can't let this thing simmer and let the media and let all these idiots…just throw gasoline on the fire."
The regret, perhaps, is not just about that one night but about how that night shaped everything afterward. Thomas has always defended his team's actions as consistent with the times. He referenced how the Celtics did the same to them in 1988, leaving without congratulations when the Pistons dethroned them. To him, it was standard protocol. But history has a way of choosing which moments to highlight and which players to forgive.
Barkley's take lands as a rare show of solidarity among legends. In a league where narrative often outruns nuance, Barkley's words are a reminder that legacies aren't always shaped by talent alone. They are often rewritten by perception and who controls the mic when the dust settles.
Thomas remains the only player to lead a team to back-to-back championships without another Top 50 player by his side. He beat Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Jordan in their prime, often with torn ligaments, dislocated ankles, or a target on his back. Yet somehow, it's not enough to erase the image of that walk-off.This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
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