For almost anyone from Chicago, Michael Jordan is the greatest player of all time. He won six NBA championships, five MVP awards, and was named to the All-NBA Defensive Team nine times. His resume is hard to argue with.
However, many casual fans and NBA players continue to debate who is the greatest of all time in basketball. Some say Bill Russell, some argue it is LeBron James, but most people from Illinois or the Chicago area can all agree that it is MJ.
That is why, when Derrick Rose, a former Chicago Bulls star and Chicago native, gave an interview with HoopsHype and didn’t name Jordan as his GOAT, it shocked NBA fans.
“I mean, my GOAT now is Isiah Thomas because he’s from Chicago. The only guy who beat Magic (Johnson), Mike (Jordan), and (Larry) Bird all in their prime at 6-3. Chicago’s way of doing (expletive). I used to say MJ, but it wasn’t MJ. I said it because I was intrigued by his story and how he won. But I’m not a two-guard. I don’t score like him at all. So it was just me just admiring his story,” said Rose.
You can’t really blame Rose for this answer. What Isiah Thomas did at his size is legendary. An undersized guard like Rose has to tip his cap to a player like that.
Add in the Chicago native pride, and everything falls into place.
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Still, Rose grew up watching Jordan win championships for his city, so it is hard not to wonder if this is a slight at Jordan in some way.
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