Isiah Thomas accuses NBA on NBC of covering for Michael Jordan: ‘Very mythical’

Isiah Thomas is accusing the NBA on NBC of letting Michael Jordan and others spread fake news about their careers.

Most basketball fans loved the NBA on NBC, blending nostalgia with the current game during its reboot season under the league’s new media rights deal, but Isiah Thomas isn’t most basketball fans.

Thomas joined Run It Back Friday morning, where Michelle Beadle asked whether he liked the NBA on NBC attempting to bring Jordan and other legends in to celebrate the game and its history. And while Thomas is okay with NBC giving NBA legends a platform, he’s not okay with them letting Jordan use the network to continue fueling his allure.

Isiah Thomas on NBA legends like Michael Jordan being involved in modern media:

“Only if they’re going to be 100% honest…the way the game is talked about is very mythical…we’re still calling it The Flu Game and they know he didn’t have the flu, but they promote it.” pic.twitter.com/8dSgwLkMPp

— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) June 12, 2026

“Only if they’re going to be one hundred percent honest, and not promote this BS,” Thomas said. “Tell the truth about the game. Truthfully, honestly, and factually to the fans so they can continue to learn and grow and love our game. But the way our game is being talked about in some ways, it’s very mythical. It ain’t real. We’re still calling his (Michael Jordan) game ‘The Flu Game,’ and they know he didn’t have the flu. But they promote it.”

“I’m just down for honesty and telling the truth about what it is we’re seeing. If NBC is going to bring back people to talk about the game, bring the folks who are going to be honest and tell the truth. Not this BS.”

Most fans would agree Jordan’s highly promoted “special contributor” deal with NBC was a bust because it was ultimately limited to one long-form interview that was chopped up and sprinkled throughout the season. But this seems like misdirected outrage by Thomas, who’s gripe was less about the six-time NBA champion’s utilization, and more about the fact that he believes NBC has used Jordan propaganda.

Thomas didn’t name any specific NBA on NBC analysts he has an issue with, but he made a point of calling out Jordan’s ‘Flu Game’ as an example of disinformation being promoted. The “Flu Game” from the 1997 NBA Finals has been described by Jordan and his trainer as a bout of food poisoning, believed to have been caused by late-night pizza delivered to his hotel room in Utah the night before Game 5.

Some, however, have theorized that Jordan was sick in Game 5 of the NBA Finals because of a hangover. Thomas didn’t make any accusations about what Jordan may have been suffering from during that now-famous Game 5 performance, other than definitively stating he didn’t have the flu.

While there are often back-and-forths between the old guard and new in NBA media, this is old guard vs. old guard. Thomas and Jordan famously have a bitter rivalry dating back to their days on the court. And that rivalry has continued with Thomas not liking the way Jordan remains on a pedestal, even in retirement.