"I might be in that same vein" - Reggie Miller agreed with Michael Jordan calling Isiah Thomas an a—hole

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25-07-2025

"I might be in that same vein" - Reggie Miller agreed with Michael Jordan calling Isiah Thomas an a—hole originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas' relationship has been one big piece of a sour pie. And even decades later, that bitter aftertaste continues to linger.
What began as a fierce on-court rivalry in the late 1980s between Jordan's rising Chicago Bulls and Thomas' physically imposing Detroit Pistons eventually evolved into a cold, tense off-court history layered with grudges, post-game silence and public jabs.
For most of the NBA's modern era, this tension stood largely between the two Hall of Famers. That is, until Reggie Miller decided to weigh in.
Miller agreed with Jordan's take on Thomas
Miller has added his voice to the growing list of NBA legends who don't exactly remember Thomas as the most beloved teammate or peer. He echoed Jordan's sentiment from "The Last Dance," the 2020 ESPN documentary that reignited public debate about Isiah's legacy.
"What he said about Isiah being an a—hole, I might be in that same vein," the Indiana Pacers legend said.
Miller's agreement with Jordan was sharp and unambiguous, leaving little room for speculation. Despite the public perception of Thomas as a media-polished figure, those who played against him or worse, shared a locker room, often had different stories.
The quote nods back to The Last Dance, where Jordan outright stated that he respected the Detroit icon's talents, but he didn't like him as a person. That moment sparked one of the loudest ripple effects from the documentary's release.
In the aftermath, Thomas went on several press runs defending his reputation and even claimed to be blindsided by Jordan's commentary, stating that he had tried to patch things up over the years. But the damage had long been done, and for Miller to back Jordan's character assessment wasn't just a throwaway remark.
Miller, a Hall of Famer with 25,279 career points and five All-Star appearances, played during the same rugged NBA era that shaped both Jordan and Thomas. Though he wasn't a central character in the Bulls-Pistons wars of the late '80s, Miller saw enough from the sidelines and the court to form a clear opinion.
The league at that time was full of sharp elbows and backhanded compliments. And Thomas, for all his dazzling handles and two championships, never fully shook off the notion that he wasn't the easiest star to co-exist with.Old wounds, open mic
The history here is long and fraught. The Bad Boy Pistons, led by Thomas, Bill Laimbeer and Dennis Rodman, built their brand on punishing opponents physically and psychologically. Between 1988 and 1990, they eliminated Jordan's Bulls from the playoffs three straight times.
The infamous Jordan Rules, a defensive blueprint designed to wear down the Bulls' star with constant contact, turned Thomas into the architect of some of the most bruising playoff basketball in league history.
After the Bulls finally overcame the Pistons in 1991, sweeping them in the Eastern Conference finals, Detroit walked off the court without shaking hands. Thomas, as team captain, took most of the heat for what many still consider one of the most unsportsmanlike acts in NBA history. Jordan never forgot it and never forgave it.
Even beyond the handshake snub, Thomas' complex relationships with other stars of his time have continued to cast shadows.
From Magic Johnson to Larry Bird and even Scottie Pippen, many high-profile players of that era have voiced discomfort or distance from Thomas at various points. Perhaps no slight was more revealing than his exclusion from the 1992 Dream Team — an omission widely believed to have been influenced by Jordan himself.This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 10, 2025, where it first appeared.