As the franchise player of the Detroit Pistons during the 1980s, Isaiah Thomas had a goal: to put his team on the map like the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. To do that, Zeke knew that the Pistons needed to form a unique identity; thus, the "Bad Boys" image was born.
In an interview with SLAM's Alan Paul in 2011, the two-time champion revealed why the Detroit "Bad Boy" Pistons stood out.
"I sort of came up with the whole Bad Boys thing," Thomas said . "It's not that I or any of us wanted to be the bad guys," Thomas insists. "You'd go to Boston Garden, and everyone would talk about the mystique, then Kevin McHale, Larry Bird, and Robert Parish would kill you—they beat you, not some leprechauns, but the talk distracted you. I figured we could get the same kind of thing going. I always liked the Oakland Raiders, and I wanted our image to be just like that."
Detroit fought with juggernauts
Thomas achieved his mission of giving Detroit basketball its own identity. Not only are the "Bad Boy" Pistons known as the most violent team of all time, but they're one of the few teams who can say that they defeated Magic Johnson's Lakers, Larry Bird's Celtics, and Michael Jordan's Bulls during their peak years. The "Bad Boy" Pistons also capped off the 1980s with back-to-back NBA championships.
Aside from all their achievements, the 12-time All-Star also believes that the "Bad Boys" were one of — if not — the best defensive teams in NBA history. Thanks to their "Bad Boys" image, the team embraced their rigorous style of play, which intimidated their competitors.
"I would say we're in the conversation with the '04 Pistons team and '96 Bulls because we could go anywhere, anybody at any time. The '89 team set the standard for how defense can be played in the NBA. If you remember, we were so against the grain at that time as a basketball team with two small guards at the backcourt," Zeke said .
"I'd say all our defensive schemes and principles, the way we trap, rotated, the way we move in and out, defend '94 feet, defensive teams weren't playing that way, and I think we set the standard which the rest of the league started to follow," he continued.
Related: "I'm not saying that I can take Kobe Bryant or Tracy McGrady" — Michael Jordan was real about his ability when he played with the Wizards
The "Bad Boys" didn't want to be bad boys
The term "Bad Boys" came about in January 1988 after member Rick Mahorn knocked the one and only MJ to the ground, much to the dismay of the Bulls bench, leading to a huge altercation. The very next day, Jordan 's quotes about the "Bad Boys" being the dirtiest team in the league were all over the newspaper, which Thomas and co. glorified over. Instead of denying that they played violent basketball, the Pistons embraced the label and made it their identity.
"I didn't back down to anyone," Thomas said . "I'm lucky I didn't get hurt. I don't think I played cheap, but I definitely played hard. I'd most like to be remembered as a guy who just did whatever it took to win—whether that meant scoring 40 and looking pretty or digging in my heels and playing ugly. And that goes for the whole team; we thought we should have won the title in '88, and by the next season, we were prepared to do whatever it took. I think our toughness was mental as well as physical."
Although, in reality, the "Bad Boys" didn't genuinely believe they were bad men. They just embraced the moniker as their mantra, and it was an avenue for them to separate themselves from everyone with the intention of making their mark in basketball history— which they indeed fulfilled.
Related: Isiah Thomas suggested Joe Dumars was Michael Jordan's snitch: "Jordan got to get inside our inner workings"
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