Isiah Thomas faced serious backlash for his comments about Larry Bird in 1987: "I was accused of being a racist, and I'm a bad guy now"

Larry Bird and Isiah Thomas of the Detroit Pistons were embroiled in a controversy in 1987. It all stemmed from Zeke's comments on Bird, in which he said that if the Celtics star was black, 'he would just be another good guy' instead of being portrayed as the league's best player.

Those comments were made after the Pistons lost to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. Thomas tried to explain his remarks, pointing out how his words were taken out of context.

"My mistake was in joking in a manner and with someone who did not fully understand that I was joking," Isiah Thomas' said, admitting he was being affected by it.

Thanks to his remarks, Thomas was painted as a bad guy. Hence, aside from failing to advance to the NBA Finals, the second overall pick of the 1981 Draft admitted that everything that transpired during that period deeply affected him.

"I lost a game, was accused of being a racist, and I'm a bad guy now," Thomas rued at the time.

Bird hardly affected

On the other side, the recipient of the racist remark hardly gave it weight. He said that if "The Baby-Faced Assassin" says it was in jest, then so be it.

"The main thing is that if the statement doesn't bother me, it shouldn't bother anybody," Bird said via the New York Times .

Furthermore, the Celtics star believes that the timing could have been off. Considering the ECF was pretty heated, with emotions running high, it wasn't the best time to talk to players after that grueling series.

"After a game like that, in the heat of the locker room, it's probably not the best time to talk to us. I've answered a lot of questions about it, and talked about it to my family and they still love Isiah Thomas," Bird added.

Rodman started it all

Ironically, it was not Thomas who sparked the racial controversy. It was Dennis Rodman who instigated it all. The Pistons rookie branded Bird as 'very overrated' then, and Zeke reacted to his teammate's remark. "The Worm" would later apologize for those remarks on Bird. He admits that it all bore out of emotion, frustrated with the loss to the Cs.

"I was very frustrated at the time. I was wrong, and honestly that is not the way I feel. It was a mistake on my behalf," Rodman said at the time.

No big deal for Bird

Bird is aware that there will be opinions that may not necessarily go his way. Regardless, "The Hick from French Lick" understands why. He admits that ugly words are bound to come out, especially after a tough emotional battle.

"I've been in them locker rooms after tough losses. There is no telling what's said off the record, heat of the battle," Bird said in an interview with Andscape in 2015.

Pistons figured out how to win a title and Bird retired

The Celtics lost in the 1987 NBA finals to the Los Angeles Lakers. Things also crumbled for the Cs, who struggled to reach the finals in the following years. Regardless, Bird still starred for the Celtics for the next five seasons. Although he could still deliver the numbers, injuries started to slow down the three-time MVP. Larry Legend would retire in August 1992.

As for Thomas, Rodman, and the Pistons, they would figure it out and make the finals in the 1988 season. They lost in the final in seven games to the ShowTime Lakers. Detroit finally figured it out in 1989, winning the NBA title over the Lakers via sweep. They would repeat as champions in 1990, this time against the Portland Trail Blazers, 4-1.

Related: Isiah Thomas refutes Dennis Rodman’s take on Larry Bird: "Bird would win two or three championships in this era"