One of the sweetest wins that the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls experienced during their ‘reign of terror’ in the 90s was the 4-0 thrashing of the Detroit Pistons in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals. The ‘bad-boy’ Pistons had ended the Bulls’ season thrice in a row and were the most frustrating obstacle in their path to a Championship. In addition to that, they would also wear the Chicago side down with their physical and rough style of play. However, the animosity between the two sides didn’t translate into Michael Jordan’s relationship with one ‘Bad Boy’ Piston.
Jordan and his teammates had endured several rough beatings and incessant trash-talking from the Pistons side, who had been given the title of ‘Bad Boys’ for similar reasons. Detroit stars like Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn, and Dennis Rodman tried throwing the Bulls off their game with hard fouls and persistent trash-talking.
However, one of their best players, Hall of Famer Joe Dumars, did not indulge in the shenanigans his teammates took pride in. Instead, he enjoyed testing himself against the best player in the league, which earned Jordan’s admiration.
During an interview with the Dan Patrick Show a year ago, Dumars answered the question why the Bulls icon did not have the same level of contempt for him that he had for his Pistons teammates. The then 59-year-old explained,
“He and I matched up against each other for 14 straight years. In those 14 years, never once did he try to trash-talk me, and never once did I try to trash-talk him. It was toe to toe, nose to nose for 14 straight years and we never said a negative word to each other on the court. I respected him.”
Dumars added that Jordan harbored no resentment towards the Pistons for beating the Bulls thrice between 1988 and 1990 and wished him and the team good luck for the rest of their playoff run. Detroit did not return the favor when Chicago beat them in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals and left the court before the final buzzer went off in Game 4.
While his teammates walked off, much to Jordan and the Bulls’ astonishment, Dumars remembered the superstar’s sporting gesture and returned it to earn his respect.
Joe Dumars made Michael Jordan a better player
Michael Jordan holds Joe Dumars in high regard not only for his stellar ability and sportsmanship, but also because he pushed him to work harder on his offensive skills. In a 2003 interview, the six-time NBA champion spoke about the Pistons icon’s impact on his career and said,
“[Joe Dumars] approaches the game as trying to dissect his opponents and try to find weaknesses or try to force them to do things they didn’t feel comfortable doing. He introduced certain tricks to make me expand on my talents as an offensive player, and that is why I consider him one of the best.”
While Dumars was an exceptional defender, as Jordan testified, he was also skilled offensively. He finished his career with over 16,000 points and 4,500 assists, earning six All-Star nods and five NBA All-Defensive selections.
While Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, and Dennis Rodman are the names mostly associated with the ‘Bad-Boy’ Pistons and their brand of basketball, it was Dumars who showed up in their first trip to the NBA Finals in 32 years in 1988. He averaged 27.3 points, six assists, and 1.8 rebounds against the ‘Showtime’ Lakers and was named the Finals MVP.
Dumars was an outstanding two-way player. While his accolades speak for him, Michael Jordan’s approval isn’t bad to have on a resume either.
