INGLEWOOD, CA - JUNE 13: Isiah Thomas #11 of the Detroit Pistons holds the Larry O'Brien trophy while being interviewed by reporters. The Detroit Pistons defeated the Los Angeles Lakers to win the 1989 NBA Championship at the Great Western Forum on June 13, 1989 in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1989 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

In an era in which Magic Johnson's Lakers, Larry Bird's Celtics and Michael Jordan's Bulls reigned supreme over the NBA. Isiah Thomas' 'Bad Boy' Pistons disrupted the cycle, winning back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990.

The least heralded team out of that bunch, having won only two championships—reaching three NBA Finals—Thomas feels that his squad deserves its rightful place in history.

While appearing on the All the Smoke podcast with former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Thomas said that although Detroit wasn't the most dominant team in that era, its impact on the league and history of basketball cannot be understated.

"We're not a dynasty because technically we didn't win three." Thomas said. "... What I would say, who's been the most impactful team on the NBA—it's the Detroit Pistons. When you look at our style of play, pick-and-roll basketball, stretch 5 in [Bill] Laimbeer, small guards, you know, shooting from the perimeter. We didn't have a post-up player. The way we influenced the game, little guys like myself, we weren't supposed to win championships."

"... The most impactful and the most influential team that's played is the Detroit Pistons."

Despite not being as praised as the other teams of that era, Detroit went through all of them on its way to its two titles.

After years of struggling against the Celtics, the Pistons essentially ended that dynasty in 1988 when they beat Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals. They'd go on to beat the Lakers in the Finals the following season.

And Jordan, who many consider the greatest to ever play, got bounced out of the playoffs two years in a row by Thomas' squad.

So, he has a point.

Thomas was the undisputed leader of those Pistons teams that included fellow Hall of Famers like Joe Dumars and Dennis Rodman. During those two championship seasons he averaged 18.3 points per game to go along with 8.9 assists and 1.7 steals.

He was the Finals MVP in 1990 as the Pistons beat Los Angeles and was a 12-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA selection.

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