"If they played today, they'd be Flagrant twos" - MJ talks about how the 'Bad Boys' Pistons played defense on him
The Detroit Pistons were known as the "Bad Boys" during the late 80s and early 90s because of their toughness and physical defense. The Pistons rode this defensive identity to win back-to-back NBA championships in 1989 and 1990. However, this persona also put them in a bad light because they were perceived to be a "dirty" team that wanted to hurt their opponents.
No one was more familiar with the "Bad Boys" defense than the GOAT himself, Michael Jordan. MJ's ascent to greatness had to pass through the Pistons in the Eastern Conference. Although he eventually got over the Detroit hump, it wasn't easy, as Jordan himself said.
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"They like to junk up the game. They like to beat you down, hard fouls. If they played today, they'd be Flagrant twos. I was beat down because of the physicality of what was happening within the game. And I didn't have it to compete with them," Mike admitted during an interview with Ahmad Rashad.
The Jordan Rules
Because Mike and his Chicago Bulls were the Pistons' emerging threat in the Eastern Conference, the "Bad Boys" used an even more intense defensive strategy when playing them. People coined it the "Jordan Rules," which put emphasis on stopping Jordan at all costs, literally.
The Pistons were successful with their ploy, as they eliminated MJ's Bulls in the playoffs in three straight seasons from 1988 to 1990. In the last of those three years, Chicago took Detroit to its limit by forcing a Game 7. However, the "Bad Boys" proved to be the tougher team once again. For Michael, a second straight loss to the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1990 was enough.
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"That's when I really started to physically build my body up and give myself up for that type of beating. From that year on, I got stronger, stronger, stronger, stronger because that became as important as anything else," he added.
Related: "I knew my days with the Celtics were over' - Larry Bird admits his love for Boston ended when the team traded his favorite teammate
Jordan bulked up to beat the Pistons
During the 1990 offseason, Michael hired young trainer Tim Grover for a 30-day trial run that ultimately became a career partnership and turned Tim into one of the most in-demand athletic trainers in the business. In "The Last Dance" documentary, Grover revealed that Jordan went from 200 to 215 pounds that summer, adding 15 pounds of muscle in preparation for another physical showdown with the "Bad Boys."
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"I would give him a certain amount of reps to do, but he would never stop at that number," Grover said of Jordan. "If I asked for six, I knew he was gonna do 12."
The results were immediately felt. After going 3-14 during the regular season against the Pistons from 1998-1990, the Bulls won their regular season series 3-2 during the 1990-91 campaign. Chicago finished with its first 60-win season and the best record in the Eastern Conference.
In the Conference Finals, they met Detroit for the third straight year, but with Jordan more than ever physically and mentally ready for the Pistons' physical play, the Bulls swept them 4-0 on their way to their first NBA championship. More importantly, MJ finally put the "Bad Boys" in his rear-view mirror.
Related: "I didn't get irritated by any of the Pistons" - MJ claims Rodman and the 'Bad Boys' never fazed him
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