“The only guy who beat Magic, Mike, and Bird all in their prime” – Derrick Rose on why Isiah Thomas is his GOAT and not Michael Jordan originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Michael Jordan was basketball’s undisputed GOAT for the longest time. His undefeated finals record, multiple All-Star appearances, and a slew of individual accolades became the gold standard for aspiring NBA pros.
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But in the last couple of years, analysts and former players have challenged Jordan’s stature. They have floated names like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Magic Johnson as the true basketball GOAT.
Who is Derrick Rose’s GOAT?
NBA icon Derrick Rose recently shared his thoughts on this never-ending debate. While he admitted that he was once part of the “Air Jordan” bandwagon, his sentiments have changed. Now, the greatest player in his eyes is Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas.
“I mean, my GOAT now is Isiah Thomas because he’s from Chicago,” Rose said, via Hoops Hype. “The only guy who beat Magic [Johnson], Mike [Jordan], and [Larry] Bird all in their prime at 6-foot-3. Chicago’s way of doing sh*t. I used to say MJ, but it wasn’t MJ. I said it because I was intrigued by his story and how he won. But I’m not a two-guard. I don’t score like him at all. So it was just me just admiring his story.”
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Thomas and the Pistons defeated a stacked Boston Celtics team in the 1988 Eastern Conference Finals, 4-2. The Chicago native put on a show against Larry Bird, which signaled that a generational talent was on the rise.
They met Magic Johnson‘s Los Angeles Lakers in the 1988 Finals and stood their ground against a very experienced and talented squad. They lost in seven games, which proved they could hang with the big boys
In the 1989 NBA Finals, “Zeke” and his team got their revenge against the Lakers via a gentleman’s sweep. It was the dawn of a new era. And to prove that it wasn’t a fluke, they snagged another Larry O’Brien trophy after defeating the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1990 NBA Finals.
The “Black Cat” and his Chicago Bulls were collateral damage in the Pistons’ three consecutive trips to the NBA Finals. The Chuck Daly-coached team had the answer for Phil Jackson’s triangle offense. They also knew exactly how to contain MJ’s offensive game.
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Overshadowed?
Despite Thomas’s decorated resume, he was quickly overshadowed by his colleagues’ success. Some point to the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals Game 4 walkout as the main incident that forever tarnished his reputation.
Many believe his controversial walk-off was the turning point that excluded him from the Dream Team. He was the perfect point guard to guide the Americans, but given his bad history with Jordan and Scottie Pippen, it was better that he remained at home. It would’ve been detrimental to have players who don’t like each other vying for Olympic gold.
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“Looking at his numbers, it would be difficult to argue Isiah wasn’t deserving,” Pippen wrote of Thomas via NBC Sports. “Putting a basketball team together is about more than numbers. It is about chemistry, and with Isiah on the Dream Team, the chemistry would have been horrible.”
Has Thomas been unfairly treated by history? Should that one incident forever affect the way people perceive him? For Rose, these things are extraneous to “Zeke’s” legacy. After all, no basketball player is perfect. Everyone has been attached to a couple of controversies during their careers. From a purely basketball standpoint, Isiah is truly one of the greatest of all time.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.