…to continue a decades-old feud with Michael Jordan.Earlier today, The Detroit News’ Vincent Goodwill insisted that outside of Motown, the Pistons ’89 and ’90  World Championships (preceded by an Eastern Conference title in ’88) are largely forgotten and/or considered “a nuisance to the Lakers-Celtics era, and a hindrance to Michael Jordan’s ascension to greatness.”  To which former Pistons PG Isiah Thomas responds, “I don’t remember the Bulls winning a title in the ’80’s”.

Thomas hopes that now, with Dennis Rodman’s induction to the Hall of Fame, Detroit’s greatness can be validated with three members of the Hall (Thomas, Rodman, Joe Dumars).

“If that’s the era that was some of the best basketball to be played in the league, then we’re proud to have won championships in that era,” Thomas said. “I think it does (validate us).”

The Bulls dominated a weak era, but they weren’t ready to do it when the competition was at its stiffest.

“They lost a lot to us,” Thomas said. “We lost one. I don’t speak from opinion, I speak from fact. We beat them more than they beat us.”

Thomas then pointed out that the Pistons beat the Bulls in 1988, 1989 and 1990, before the Bulls broke through in 1991. But the road traveled by Jordan and Pippen was nowhere near as difficult as what the Pistons went through, and you can sense resentment from Thomas about that.

“All I know is, head-to-head competition, my teams beat their teams more than they beat mine,” he said. “Those are facts.”