Three years of pain. Three years of bruises. Three years of Jordan hitting the floor while the Pistons laughed with their ‘Jordan Rule.’ But in 1991, everything changed. In 1991, the Bulls finally cracked the Pistons’ defense, sweeping them in the Eastern Conference Finals!
Yet, the grudge from those brutal three years never faded.
Dan Roan and Bill Laimbeer once crossed paths on a golf course, as recalled by Roan during his interview on Access One. Reminiscing about the famous Bulls vs. Pistons rivalry, Roan said, “Bill Laimbeer one of my least favorite athletes of all time!”
Roan explained his rationale, “Bill was one of those guys born with a silver spoon in his mouth. I think his father was the president of U.S. Steel, and he had a lot of money growing up. A good basketball player! Went to Notre Dame; (He) had a great NBA career. Didn’t need to do all the stuff he did. That was kind of the personality of their team,” he added.
While he had immense respect for the NBA legend’s talent and contributions, he simply wasn’t fond of the tactics used by the Detroit Pistons. There was an intense physicality in the games. When the two crossed paths at an elite celebrity golf tournament, Laimbeer was the first to confront the journalist about the things he had said about him in the past.
“Laimbeer says to me thanks for saying all that stuff about me all these years and I said what you didn’t deserve it? ‘(Showing how Laimbeer responded) Oh you think those guys were angels’ I said well they weren’t angels they were just fighting back,” he shared. And it quickly escalated.
Unknown Date; Richfield, OH, USA; FILE PHOTO; Chicago Bulls guard (23) Michael Jordan talks to forward (33) Scottie Pippen against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Richfield Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Photo By USA TODAY Sports (c) Copyright USA TODAY Sports
Roan’s resentment echoes the frustration many Bulls fans felt during those years. But what exactly made the Pistons so tough to beat? Enter the ‘Jordan Rules.’
Isiah Thomas explained the Jordan Rule
For Jordan, one thing was simple. The usual defenses used in the NBA were never strong enough to stop. And so, the “Jordan Rule” was born. This rule had one aim, which was for the teams to double and triple-team him at times to stop him. The Pistons had different defenses for different players.
Former Detroit Pistons player Isiah Thomas, during his appearance on All The Smoke podcast, recalled that Jordan didn’t like to pass. “He didn’t have great handles, couldn’t go left, and if he went left more than two, three times, he had to pick it up, so the rules are very simple,” he shared.
Thomas explained that their strategy was to push Jordan to his left, and that is when they used to send help to pressure him into passing or taking a tough shot. As intense as the competition was, the physicality of those games was just as tough. Game 3 of the 1988 series was war. Laimbeer, the Pistons’ enforcer, didn’t just set a hard screen – he threw a cheap shot straight into Jordan’s gut. The Bulls’ star had two choices: fold or fight back. He chose the latter.
Jordan took his scars from the ‘Bad Boys’ and forged them into his championship DNA. When he finally conquered the Pistons in ‘91, it was a statement. The Bulls had arrived, and Jordan was officially unstoppable.
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