Isiah Thomas Says Michael Jordan Owes Him a Public Apology, Reflects on Rift and the Legacy of Jerry Krause

For Bulls fans, few rivalries carry more weight than Michael Jordan versus Isiah Thomas. 

The Bad Boy Pistons were Chicago’s toughest obstacle before the dynasty began, and decades later, the tension still lingers. 

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Two-time NBA champion and Pistons legend Isiah Thomas joined Dan Dakich this week to talk about his days in the league, his relationship with Jordan, and his respect for former Bulls general manager Jerry Krause.

Thomas, the leader of the Pistons in the late 1980s and early 1990s, remains one of the greatest point guards in league history. 

AUBURN HILLS, MI - 1989:  Isiah Thomas #11 of the Detroit Pistons takes some time to catch his breath  with Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls during a break in the action during an NBA game at The Palace circa 1989 in Auburn Hills, Michigan. (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

PONTIAC, MI - CIRCA 1987: Isiah Thomas #11 of the Detroit Pistons looks on with head coach Chuck Daly whiles there's a break in the action during an NBA basketball game circa 1987 at The Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan . Thomas played for the Pistons from 1981-94. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

Yet his rivalry with Jordan continues to follow him, reignited by comments in The Last Dance that painted their relationship in sharp contrast.

"I've been very public about this and I have said it's really up to him, not up to me," Thomas told Dakich, speaking on securing a bond with MJ. 

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"He went on national television after inviting me to do his documentary. I still got the emails from his producer saying that Michael really wants you to be involved in his documentary, can't tell his story without you. And if you remember Dan, I put on a three-piece suit, went there, sat there and did a whole thing about our relationship and everything else."

Thomas said he was shocked when the series aired. 

"I never knew he had this type of disdain for me, or there was like a real beef," he shared. "Of course, in the media, they always say it's a beef, but when you meet somebody and they're nice to you, you believe the person who's nice to you. So then he gets on and he says, well, you know, I hate Isiah. And I was blown away by that."

Over the years, people have encouraged the two to meet privately, but Thomas believes any reconciliation should match the public nature of the slight. 

"This has been my stance publicly," he said. "When you publicly apologize and say you didn't mean it, if you really didn't mean it, then clean it up publicly. But if you meant it, let it stand. And he's let it stand. So if he hates me, you know, so be it. I'm okay with that. But if he wants to have a relationship or any type of friendship, that's on him to do it publicly as he did it publicly before."

Thomas also spoke about Jerry Krause, the general manager who built the Bulls dynasty but was vilified when it ended. 

"You know, we Hoosiers, we kind of see realistically while other people look through rose colored glasses," Thomas said. "To me in that era, these were the top general managers: Jerry West, Red Auerbach, Wayne Embry, Jack McCloskey, Jerry Krause. Jerry Krause, because of the way Jordan and the Bulls treated him, and none of us ever knew until we saw The Last Dance how poorly they treated Jerry Krause."

Basketball: NBA Finals: Chicago Bulls General Manager Jerry Krause victorious with Larry O'Brien Trophy after winning third championship at America West Arena. Phoenix, AZ 6/20/1993 CREDIT: John W. McDonough (Photo by John W. McDonough /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X44552 )

As a Chicago native, Thomas said Krause deserves far more respect. 

"Now, I'm from Chicago, and I say to anyone, Jerry Krause is the greatest general manager in Chicago's sports history," Thomas continued. "But the way the Bulls fans and Jordan treated him and his family, I could not ever imagine as a person, a player, ever treating the president of the team or the general manager of the team that way."

Thomas compared Krause’s treatment to how other franchises honor their leaders. 

"I watch how Red Auerbach is treated in Boston, the reverence that he's treated with," Thomas added. "I look at how the Lakers treat the reverence of Jerry West and statues and everything else and those players talk about Jerry West. When we talk about Jack McCloskey, Chicago is the only championship team that speaks so poorly of their leader, which is mind-blowing to me."

Thomas said Krause was kind to him long before he became a front office figure. 

"Jerry Krause was always nice to me as a kid, he was always good to my family whenever my family came to the stadium," he said. "I have tremendous respect for Jerry Krause. And when they introduced his wife at their celebration and the fans booed his wife on the night that they should have been like, I thought that was one of the most horrific things that I've ever seen in sports."

Time may have cooled the battles, but not the memories for Zeke.

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