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Isiah Thomas said it was disappointing how the media portrayed the Pistons in the '80s
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- Isiah Thomas said it was disappointing how the media portrayed the Pistons in the '80s
For the Detroit Pistons , who secured two consecutive championships in the late 1980s, their journey was entirely about overcoming obstacles. They continuously worked to rise above the odds, relying on their collective toughness and maximizing the strength of their roster to bring success to the city.
However, Isiah Thomas felt deeply disappointed by the way the team's success pushed the media to craft negative narratives about the Pistons and the city of Detroit, ultimately forcing the latter to be portrayed as one of the most undesirable places in the country through a range of stereotypes.
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Thomas knew the media had hatred towards the Pistons personal
There's no denying that the Pistons played a brand of basketball that was far from aesthetically pleasing. In an era where fans gravitated toward heroes such as Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan, the Pistons' players remained unapologetically true to themselves. Even though none of the players received the spotlight their talent warranted, they embraced a gritty style of play, encouraging one another to play physically.
Thomas recently admitted that the Pistons' success only encouraged the media to portray the team in the worst possible manner. Not only were the players labeled as "thugs" of the basketball world, but the media made sure to even villainize the city of Detroit for supporting their players - a trend that the former Finals MVP strongly condemned.
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"The feeling that you felt, it had more to do with us just playing against them, because in the media, the stereotypes that they were putting on Detroit, talking about us being thugs, talking about the city being dirty, talking about us crimes," Thomas said during his interview with 'New Era Detroit.' "So all the stereotypes that they were laying on us, the whole city was feeling. You being younger, I guarantee your mom and dad was saying, 'Hey, what these people are saying about us and about our team, that's not right.' That went deeper," Isiah narrated.
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The hate united the city of Detroit
Although the broader NBA media seemed united against Detroit and although the Pistons were painted as villains no one wished to see succeed, that hostility had the opposite effect within the city. Basketball fans in Detroit embraced their team even more, valuing every player for his unique style of play, no matter how aggressive it appeared, because they understood that regardless of what the Pistons did, the media would find a way to villainize them.
This dynamic highlights the way the media shaped the narrative surrounding the "Bad Boys."
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Safe to say that had they been given the credit they genuinely deserved, modern-day fans might recognize them as one of the hardest-working groups of players this league has ever seen, who made such a development in their playing style that they were able to overcome those teams who constantly beat them in their initial years with ease.
Nevertheless, this only goes on to show how the media has remained the ultimate boss for decades in shaping a team's and dynasty's image to the current and future generations. And how people buy into most things the media is saying.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Nov 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
