The Last Dance

[Apollo]

Bad Boys are associated with "that era where it was bodychecking and 74-70 type scores and the games were ugly" but that's not fair. So, the decade before that belongs to Bird and Magic, beautiful ball, then the decade after belongs to Jordan and them, but we're gonna take those 2 or 3 Pistons years and call those the ugly years with asterisks? I'd be pissed too.

Yes bad boys were rough, but there is 1 big reason they were back to back...DE! FENSE!..John Salley was elite, Zeke was like another Lowry type, tenacious as fuck, Lambeer, oh and I haven't even gotten to one of the best defenders of all time, The Worm. Fuck, that team was better than the sum of their parts sooo much. Not seen again until....the 03 Pistons

It's unfair for sure and sprinkle in there MJ and Pippen pulling a power move to keep Zeke off the Dream Team. Anyone would be frustrated with all that.

[chris]

It's unfair for sure and sprinkle in there MJ and Pippen pulling a power move to keep Zeke off the Dream Team. Anyone would be frustrated with all that.

i don't think there's anything unfair going on with the pistons. they were the fourth best team of the era and are remembered as such. they were awesome, but the bulls, lakers and celtics were all better and had more star power.

also isiah thomas was a snake and plenty of players of that era couldn't stand him. magic had more to do with him being left off than anybody, but has said that nobody on the team wanted to play with him.

if you want the pistons side of the story there an espn 30 for 30 on them, that just re-aired the other night on sportsnet.

[Apollo]

i don't think there's anything unfair going on with the pistons. they were the fourth best team of the era and are remembered as such. they were awesome, but the bulls, lakers and celtics were all better and had more star power.

also isiah thomas was a snake and plenty of players of that era couldn't stand him. magic had more to do with him being left off than anybody, but has said that nobody on the team wanted to play with him.

if you want the pistons side of the story there an espn 30 for 30 on them, that just re-aired the other night on sportsnet.

They're remembered hardly at all. Sort of a footnote but the way they played caused the league to change the game, that says something. Jordan still harbours hard feelings against Zeke 30 years later because of basketball, that says something. Oh and they took the Lakers to seven games one year and lost due to a phantom call, then beat them the next year going on to win back to back chips. If not for the shitty call they'd be the first threepeat. They're a very important part of NBA history.

[KeonClark]

Zeke and MJ are both assholes btw. In this world of heros and villains, they're both flawed but very successful and driven humans

[chris]

They're remembered hardly at all. Sort of a footnote but the way they played caused the league to change the game, that says something. Jordan still harbours hard feelings against Zeke 30 years later because of basketball, that says something. Oh and they took the Lakers to seven games one year and lost due to a phantom call, then beat them the next year going on to win back to back chips. If not for the shitty call they'd be the first threepeat. They're a very important part of NBA history.

agree completely they're a very important part of nba history. but they're hardly remembered by whom? the majority millennial fans of today? they don't even know MJ's story how the hell can you expect them to care much about the pistons? watching the 88 finals are literally my first NBA memory and i remember hating them passionately as a young bulls fan, so i know how good they were. there's the aforementioned feature length ESPN documentary about them. bill simmons voted them (the 88-89 team) the 4th best of all time in his book and IT was a central figure in it in terms of basketball philosophy. so they are properly remembered by basketball historians for anyone who didn't live it if they care to find out, i think.

yes jordan still harbours hard feelings towards him but he's also the most ruthless and vengeful athlete of all time, so not sure how much that means. plenty of others still harbour animosity towards him though which is maybe more meaningful. perhaps he's misunderstood, to take a charitable view. or maybe he's an asshole.

also yes they could have had a three-peat if not for a bad call. they also could have gone 0 for 3 if magic didn't pull a hammy and scottie pippen didn't get a migraine. the two chamionships they got are about right in my opinion for how good they were and what they meant to the era.

[Rudy Bargnani]

The pistons should have shook hands. They are def under appreciated. IT beat Bird, Jordan, and Magic in the playoffs that is freaking insane. They won back to back championships and were a game 7 in the NBA finals with an injury away from a 3 peat. Should definitely get more love.
But it was a bitch move.

[Joey]

Preach

This gets me every time I see this:

[golden]

Zeke and MJ are both assholes btw. In this world of heros and villains, they're both flawed but very successful and driven humans

That’s a common trait of a lot ( but not all ) highly successful people. In their minds they always win at everything and they convince themselves that they’ve never lost... ever. If they have lost, then it was unforeseen bad luck or somebody else’s fault.

[G__Deane]

Exactly how they train schutzhund or police dogs

[Superjudge]

IT is hilarious. He tries to be the nice guy but is clearly both petty and still pissed after all these years. At least MJ's straightforward about how he thinks and feels.

Anyone trying to diminish MJ's accomplishments only diminishes their own credibility. Guy could win a scoring title and a DPOY at the same time. 6 for 6 in the Finals. Just nuts, nuff said.

There were GREAT players in the 90s who couldn't do anything while MJ and the Bulls were at their peak. Hakeem, Barkley, Shaq, Stockton/Malone - guys high in the GOAT rankings themselves, and everyone knew MJ would win those chips.

What is hilariously consistent is how almost every former pro thinks the era after him is crap and couldn't hang with his own team/era. Always refreshing when guys like Gretzky admit the current era is bigger, faster, and more skilled than his own. Cause that's true in almost every sport. It's most clear in individual sports like track where the outcome is objective across eras. Athletes are bigger, stronger, faster. Period.

great post man.
cheers

[The Great One]

This is crazy.

[Apollo]

[The Great One]

It took an ESPN documentary about the Bulls for "basketball fans“ to realize Draymond was never even close to Charles Barkley’s level. Lol.

[slaw]

It took an ESPN documentary about the Bulls for "basketball fans“ to realize Draymond was never even close to Charles Barkley’s level. Lol.

IN fairness, anyone under the age of 35(?) or even 40 likely saw very little of Barkley and only know him from TV. Since the only thing that matters now is titles, there is a whole generation of fans who only care about that (cause they are told it is all that matters) and don't bother learning the history of the league or appreciating the game itself.

[Apollo]