In advance of tonight’s premiere of ESPN’s 30 for 30: Bad Boys, ESPN Front Row caught up with Isiah Thomas to discuss the “Bad Boys” Pistons of the late 80’s and early 90’s.
You’ve seen the film. Do you feel that it captures the heart and soul of the Bad Boys era?
Yes, it was very comprehensive — you can see the hard work they put into the documentary and telling our stories as athletes and as men. It also captured the talent and mentality of that era — at that time all teams were rough – and we were really the last team of that generation of play. There were real rivalries and every player competed hard for their team — everyone was loyal and always protected their teammates. Our mentality, and the mentality of the Lakers, Celtics, everyone, was that there is no “i” in “team.” So I think the film captured that spirit very well.
Bad Boys premieres tonight at 8ET on ESPN. A special one-hour presentation, “Grantland’s Bad Boys Remix,” featuring Bill Simmons and Jalen Rose, will air on ESPN immediately following the premiere of “Bad Boys.”