Isiah Thomas played in an NBA era dominated by Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. However, none of those guys gave him the toughest challenge of his NBA career. According to Thomas, the player who deserves that label is his fellow Hall of Fame point guard, Maurice Cheeks .
"I could score on everybody else, but I had a difficult time with him. Magic, Bird and Jordan, those guys were easy," Thomas told ESPN in 2003 when asked who his toughest opponent was. "I'm probably the only guy walking the planet who can say he beat them more, head-to-head, than they beat him."
A four-time All-Star and five-time All-Defensive Team member, Cheeks was a great floor general for the Philadelphia 76ers during the 1980s, helping lead them to the 1983 NBA championship alongside Julius Erving and Moses Malone. Known for his unselfish play and calm demeanor, he retired as one of the league's all-time leaders in steals and assists
Thomas holds a 31-23 winning record over Cheeks in their head-to-head matchups. He also put up better individual numbers when the two faced each other in the NBA.
Thomas averaged 18.6 points to Cheeks' 12.5. However, the two posted nearly identical numbers in other categories — the Detroit Pistons legend recorded 8.9 assists and 3.7 rebounds, while the 76ers point guard tallied 7.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds per contest.
That being said, Thomas made it clear that he was always in for a long night whenever he faced Cheeks on the court, even though he never felt like the latter got the better of him.
"Well, he could say he gave me a hard time ... but he didn't shut me down," Thomas added of Cheeks. "There was no turning this faucet off. (laughs)."
Thomas sparked controversy when he said that he never really had problems against Jordan, Magic and Bird . But in a separate interview, he explained why he felt that way.
The Pistons legend reminded fans that his team won the toughest championships in NBA history, emphasizing that the Pistons beat Jordan, Magic and Bird during their title runs.
"Jordan? They saying you the best, beat your a—. Magic and Kareem? Beat you. Bird and McHale? Beat you," he said. "Can't nobody else say that. We are the only ones who can say that."
The fact that Thomas captured not one, but two NBA championships while Jordan, Magic and Bird were all in their prime makes his comments hard to dispute.
What's even more intriguing is that, despite his intense battles and rivalries with those three legends, Thomas never viewed any of them as his toughest opponent. And that might be due to positions and playstyles — Jordan and Bird played shooting guard and small forward, respectively, while Johnson always prioritized making plays for others over scoring.
Then again, despite his greatness, Cheeks' highest-scoring season saw him average only 15.6 points per game. And based on his personal "feuds" with the three legends he neglected — the Dream Team snub with Jordan and Johnson, and the Indiana Pacers coaching controversy with Bird — some will undoubtedly assume that the Pistons icon made his comments out of spite.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 20, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
