Warning! The following contains spoilers for parts 3 and 4 of The Last Dance. Read at your own risk!
ESPN has captivated sports fans with its Michael Jordan docuseries The Last Dance, which contains rare footage and interviews with the key people who were a part of the famous Chicago Bulls dynasty. It also recaps the major moments of the team, including its infamous rivalry with the Detroit Pistons. The latest episodes sparked some harsh commentary from Jordan about the Pistons' physical play and NBA legend Isiah Thomas, and some viewers felt the need to shame Thomas on social media after viewing. The problem was that many went after the wrong Thomas.
Yes, some Last Dance viewers on social media went after the current and much younger NBA superstar Isaiah Thomas. Thomas popped up on Twitter after seeing his mentions, and pointed out the mistake in a rather humorous way.
This Isaiah Thomas is not the Detroit Pistons superstar of the past, and wouldn't even enter the NBA himself until 8 years after Michael Jordan's final retirement in 2003. Unfortunately, there were those who watched The Last Dance and went about tweeting him before realizing the superstar has one extra "a" in his name, unlike Isiah Thomas.
That being said, there is a connection between the events of The Last Dance, Isiah Thomas, and Isaiah Thomas. According to Sports Illustrated, Isaiah Thomas was named after Isiah Thomas when his father lost a bet with a friend after the Pistons defeated the Lakers in 1989. The Last Dance chronicled the 1989 eastern conference finals series between the Pistons and Bulls, which the Bulls lost.
The Last Dance episodes also featured some commentary from Michael Jordan in regard to Isiah Thomas, and Thomas' decision not to shake his hand after the Chicago Bulls eliminated the Detroit Pistons in the 1991 NBA playoffs. Jordan was offered footage of Thomas explaining his remorse in not shaking Jordan's hand like Jordan had done for him the previous two years when the Pistons were victorious, but initially declined and called Thomas an "asshole."
Michael Jordan did eventually watch the footage from the interview The Last Dance team did, but it did nothing to change his opinion of Isiah Thomas. It was a standout moment of the latest two-hour installment of the docuseries, and one that apparently struck a chord with viewers. It also may have been one of the few times Isaiah Thomas regretted having a name so similar to the NBA legend, though he seemed to take the misdirected rage in stride.
The Last Dance airs on ESPN Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more on what's happening with television in 2020 and beyond, and for a look at what's coming down the pipeline in movies as well.
