ABU DHABI: Basketball Hall-of-Famer Isiah Thomas laughs when he considers the idea of him and his teammates from the Bad Boys-era Detroit Pistons having social media during their playing days in the 1980s and early 鈥�90s.

One of the most explosive point guards the game has ever seen, Thomas led the 鈥楤ad Boys鈥� to two championship titles in 1989 and 1990 and the Pistons were Michael Jordan鈥檚 ultimate nemeses as they knocked out the Chicago Bulls three years in a row before the tables finally turned in 1991.

Thomas, Dennis Rodman, John Salley, Bill Lambier, Joe Dumars and Rick Mahorn were the poster boys for the Pistons at the time and were the reason the team was labeled as extremely physical and aggressive.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 imagine Dennis Rodman, John Salley, Bill Lambier on social media back in the day. That would have been funny,鈥� said Thomas with a chuckle as he spoke to Arab News at the NBA District fan zone in Abu Dhabi on Friday.

In the 鈥楲ast Dance鈥� docu-series released in 2020 that chronicled the Bulls鈥� journey with Jordan 鈥� who produced the series 鈥� the Pistons were painted as the villains of the story. It included the infamous moment from 1991 when the Detroit players walked off court before the horn without shaking their opponents鈥� hands after losing to the Bulls.

The incident saw the Pistons heavily criticized and Thomas reckons the team鈥檚 reputation would have been even worse had there been social media at the time.

鈥淥h, we would have been perceived very differently because the information that was out and about how disparagingly Michael Jordan was talking about, not only the Pistons but also the state of Michigan, those words would have been known worldwide, as opposed to just in a small section,鈥� said Thomas.

鈥淎 little bit of it has come out now but I think people are starting to understand why the state of Michigan, in Detroit, felt the way we felt during that particular time.鈥�

Such extreme rivalries between teams have become rare in today鈥檚 NBA. Thomas spent his entire 13-season career with the Pistons 鈥� something you don鈥檛 see often nowadays.

鈥淲e have rivalry now between players, but we don鈥檛 have the visceral competitiveness that teams used to have for each other and that鈥檚 probably because it鈥檚 still a young league,鈥� explains Thomas.

鈥淭hey haven鈥檛 developed enough time competing against each other at a high level, where the cities can really like get behind and be like, 鈥極h, we don鈥檛 like that city鈥�.

鈥淚 think that time (of bitter rivalries between teams) may be gone because people keep moving (between teams). So it鈥檚 very rarely do you have one player playing for a franchise as long as we did back then.鈥�

One player committed to a single franchise and looks likely to finish his career with the same team is two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has been with the Milwaukee Bucks since 2013 and has led them to the championship title in 2021.

Earlier this year, Shaquille O鈥橬eal said Antetokounmpo will very soon be considered the undisputed best player in the league and Thomas believes 鈥渉e鈥檚 there almost now鈥�.

鈥淗is will and his determination, along with his skill, is really the thing that sets him apart,鈥� said Thomas of the Greek Freak.

鈥淗e鈥檚 talented, he has skill. But he also still has the heart and the will to go out and compete every night. And then he understands his responsibility, not only to his team, but to the fans. So he shows up and he competes and people pay their money to come see him. So he goes out and he performs no night out.鈥�

While Antetokounmpo is one of the top stars of the league right now, French teenager Victor Wembanyama has been getting an incredible amount of attention before even making it to the NBA.

The 18-year-old has been described as 鈥渁n alien鈥� by LeBron James, was tipped to become one of the greatest ever by Antetokounmpo and has been anointed as a top prospect by NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

鈥淭he hype is deserved. He鈥檚 that special of a player, he鈥檚 that rare of a player,鈥� said Thomas of Wembanyama.

鈥淎nd do I think he鈥檒l live up to it? Yes. The thing that you just hope for his sake, is that he has an injury-free career because that鈥檚 the key, to stay healthy. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was able to stay healthy, play a long time. LeBron James able to stay healthy, play a long time. And they were game-changers. He has a chance to be that. We just hope that he can stay healthy.鈥�

Thomas, who is currently an analyst for NBA TV, is looking forward to the upcoming new season and expects the New Orleans Pelicans to be the 鈥渟urprise team鈥� of the 2022-2023 campaign.

鈥淲ith Zion Williams coming back; he鈥檚 another different kind of athlete, and by him being away from the game for a year and then Covid a little bit, so he鈥檚 got a chance to be pretty special. And I think the Pelicans could be a surprise team,鈥� he added.

Thomas is one of five legends invited to help promote the historic NBA Games in Abu Dhabi, alongside O鈥橬eal, Vince Carter, Chris Bosch and Dominique Wilkins.

The 61-year-old believes the Games 鈥� the first-ever to be held in the Gulf and Arab world 鈥� will leave a lasting legacy in the region.

鈥淚 think it will be more because I think the NBA will continue to come,鈥� said Thomas.

鈥淲hen you鈥檙e welcomed as much as we鈥檝e been welcomed, it鈥檚 impressive. You want to continue to build, you want to continue to come back and really show your gratitude for the way you鈥檝e been treated. So I don鈥檛 think this is a one off and I think it will be long lasting.

鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely special to be a person who鈥檚 chosen to come over to introduce the sport.

鈥淭o still be relevant now and to still have people know your story 30 years later. It鈥檚 pretty cool. It鈥檚 pretty cool.

鈥淭he country is just overwhelmingly beautiful,鈥� he said of the UAE. 鈥淣ot only that, but just how hospitable the people have been.

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 realize how impactful you鈥檝e been from afar. So seeing the kids and in the way people have reacted to the players and NBA and knowing the history, it鈥檚 been impressive.鈥�