Isiah Thomas made headlines after his latest bold comment about Michael Jordan. The former Detroit Pistons star said he believes replacing Jordan with Kevin Durant still would have resulted in the Chicago Bulls winning six championships.
The comparison didn’t sit well with NFL legend Shannon Sharpe, who believes Thomas’ comments were made purely out of his grudge against Jordan for the iconic 1992 Dream Team snub.
Shannon Sharpe Weighs In on Isiah Thomas’ Michael Jordan vs. Kevin Durant Hypothetical
Speaking on the “Nightcap” podcast, Sharpe said he believes Thomas’ comments were made purely because of his grudge against the Bulls legend after he was left off the Dream Team.
“It’s the dream team,” Sharpe said. “Isiah Thomas should have been on the dream team, no matter what you think. John Stockton was not better than Isiah Thomas. Thomas was a two-time champion at the time of the selection. Isiah Thomas was a two-time champion and a finals MVP.”
Sharpe believes the bold claim connects to a controversial incident in which Jordan reportedly was adamant about Thomas’ omission from the ’92 Olympic squad.
Thomas stirred up fans and analysts on social media when he claimed Durant would have led the Bulls to six titles had he replaced Jordan on the roster and played with the same players the latter did during his time with the Windy City franchise.
“And I said this to Kevin Durant, and I’m going to say this to all of you sitting on the panel. If you put him back in our era, put him in that triple post, that mid post area, take Michael Jordan out, and you give him Scottie Pippen, Toni Kukoč, Dennis Rodman, B.J. Armstrong, Craig Hodges around him,” the two-time NBA champion said on “Run It Back.”
“Would he have won six championships? Absolutely. You give him that system, that mid-range post, and that ball is targeted to him every night. He’s getting 25 to 30 attempts. Yeah, he’s doing the same thing.”
Additionally, Jordan reached his points total with 24,537 field goal attempts. Durant made it in just 22,180 attempts. That’s over 2,300 fewer shots than the Bulls icon.
The MJ-KD comparison comes after the Houston Rockets superstar recently surpassed Jordan on the all-time leading scorers list. Jordan finished his career with 32,292 points.
Currently, the forward is fifth with 32,364 points. He trails LeBron James (43,276), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928), and Kobe Bryant (33,643).
Thomas’ comments will continue to generate buzz, considering his equation with Jordan over the years. However, a deep dive would also factor in the era, the intensity of the game then, and the skill set the two players possessed. Ultimately, Thomas has his views, and it is a matter of perception.
