Published 19:35 IST, April 28th 2020
Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls were just whiners, claims Pistons legend Bill Laimbeer
Detroit Pistons legend Bill Laimbeer hit out Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls and called them 'whiners' while defending their 1991 walk out.
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Michael Jordan's documentary The Last Dance has provided insight into the intense Bulls vs Pistons rivalry which lasted during the late 80s and the early 90s. The Last Dance threw light on the Pistons' walk out on Bulls in 1991 after Michael Jordan's side finally managed a victory over the 'Bad Boys' Pistons after three unsuccessful attempts. Bill Laimbeer who played a major part in the Bulls vs Pistons rivalry, still supports the Pistons walk out on the Bulls despite the public persecution.
Bill Laimbeer calls Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls 'whiners', defends Pistons walk out on Bulls
Speaking to ESPN's The Jump, Bill Laimbeer labelled the Bulls whiners and has defended their decision to walk out of the 1991 clash. Laimbeer claims that Bulls whined and cried for a year and called them 'bad people' and termed them bad for the game. The two-time NBA champion hit back at Michael Jordan and the Bulls franchise terming that they weren't bad people and were just about winning. Laimbeer added that he did not want to shake their hands after all their whining and claimed that the Bulls knew nothing about what the Pistons were. Laimbeer, in the end, gave credit to Michael Jordan for having won the series and claimed that Pistons got old and his side went past them.
Often not mentioned is that Jordan not only said the Pistons weren’t deserving champions, but he said they were bad for the NBA. And that was BEFORE the infamous walk off moment. https://t.co/rfadxdhZ8I pic.twitter.com/6yROHH4bAa
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) April 27, 2020
Bulls vs Pistons rivalry: 1991 Pistons walk out on Bulls
The Bulls vs Pistons rivalry was at its peak in the late 80s when Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas led the respective teams. The Pistons, known as 'Bad Boys' for their extreme physical play, denied Chicago Bulls a place in the NBA finals for three consecutive seasons before being outplayed in the 1991 clash. Michael Jordan's Bulls won four straight games en route their first championship but it was blighted by controversy after the Pistons walk out on Bulls in the fourth game. Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer were among the several Bad Boys Pistons who refused to shake hands post-match and left the court with almost eight seconds left to play.
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19:35 IST, April 28th 2020