Former Detroit Pistons captain Isiah Thomas ' NBA journey had several controversial parts. One of them could have easily caused permanent damage to his reputation and affected his career. Luckily for him, one of his fiercest rivals stood up for him during that crucial period.
After Game 7 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals, a frustrated Dennis Rodman made a racist remark against Larry Bird . When reporters spoke to Isiah Thomas, he repeated Rodman's statement but was seemingly joking. The media pounced on Zeke's take, and all hell broke loose. But before things got out of hand, Larry Legend silenced Thomas' critics by taking things in stride.
Nearly four decades later, during the Indiana Glory TV special on TNT during the 2024 All-Star weekend, Thomas thanked Bird for having his back and potentially saving his NBA career.
"Larry you had my career right at the palm of your hands," said Thomas. "Had you handled that press conference differently, you could've just like…Now, the media at that time kept playing it on. And that's where it went. But Larry did us a huge favor."
Zeke's career could have unfolded differently
Thomas couldn't say the right words. But what he meant was that if Larry Legend thought about his comments differently, it would have meant permanent damage to his career. Right after Zeke's controversial statement, it did appear that his flourishing NBA career would take a huge hit.
But Thomas called Bird, Kevin McHale, and Celtics head coach KC Jones to explain his side, and they all understood him. Then, before Game 2 of the 1987 Finals, Thomas flew to Los Angeles to hold a press conference with Larry Legend beside him. There, both players put an end to the media's witch hunt. Bird talked about that press conference.
"Come on, Reggie, we've been in the tough locker rooms," said Bird to Reggie Miller, who was the third man on the show with him and Zeke. "You know, sometimes, competition brings out the best in you and the worst. Isiah was a great basketball player; he had a big career ahead of him."
"He couldn't damage his career by something he didn't mean. He did not need that in his life. I didn't need it. I was going to the Finals. I'm doing a press conference in a packed place, and they're trying to push these things to another level. Get out of here. Cuz if it meant something, I would have said it. But it meant nothing to me," he concluded.
Related: Ainge on what if Bird played in today's era: "I'm pretty confident that he would be shooting nine or ten 3-point shots per game"
Thomas went on to win back-to-back titles
The Celtics would go on to lose to the Lakers in the 1987 NBA Finals. The following year, Thomas and the Pistons finally got over the Celtics hump. Still, they would lose to the Lakers in seven games in the 1988 NBA Finals after Zeke got hurt.
Finally, Isiah and the Pistons finally ended Detroit's drought and won the franchise's first NBA championship in 1989. On their way to the title, they swept an aging Celtics team minus an injured Bird. In 1990, the Bad Boys won back-to-back titles, with Thomas reaching the peak of his career after being named Finals MVP.
Zeke would go on to join Bird in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. But looking back, Thomas' career could have taken a drastic turn had Larry Legend played to the media's storylines. Isiah was starting to break down after that incident. That press conference might have kept his career going.
Related: Isiah Thomas on what if he played in today's NBA: "If I can win in that era, I will win in this one"
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