With the entirety of the sports world put on halt due to the fight against the coronavirus, ESPN’s “The Last Dance” documentary highlighting Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls is much-needed television.
And while many fans came away from the latest two episodes that aired on Sunday night with more questions about Jerry Krause and what Dennis Rodman was doing with Carmen Electra in Las Vegas, it centered on the Bulls’ arch nemesis in the late 1980s and 1990s – the ‘Bad Boy’ Detroit Pistons.
One of those ‘Bad Boys’ was current Las Vegas Aces coach Bill Laimbeer – and judging by his words, there remains no love lost between those Pistons and the His Airness-led Bulls.
Our style of play was, you know, everybody called it ugly and they called it ‘ruining the game,’ but reality says we changed the game.
–Bill Laimbeer, Las Vegas Aces coach (ESPN’s The Jump with Rachel Nichols)
Bill Laimbeer with some *strong* words on Michael Jordan’s Bulls – “they were just whiners.” Plus some great conversation on the Bad Boys, his own throwback unicorn status, the WNBA, and of course…Sleestaks!! pic.twitter.com/4sG0jn09qu
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) April 27, 2020
Laimbeer stressed that a big part of the strategy deployed by him, Isaiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Dennis Rodman (before he went to the other side of Lake Michigan and became a Bull himself) and the rest of Detroit’s team was to send a message that the painted area was no-man’s land.
You couldn’t let him dominate the game, because … he could at times. So, make him shoot jump shots. (You) don’t want to shoot jump shots, you want to come in the paint, well you pay the price. That was a given. And he tried, you know, he made some buckets, but he also hit the floor a lot.
–Bill Laimbeer, Las Vegas Aces coach (ESPN’s The Jump with Rachel Nichols)
The latest rendition of “The Last Dance” documentary also mentioned a key fact – after the Bulls defeated the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals, Detroit’s players did not shake hands with the Chicago players. Laimbeer, when speaking with Nichols said that the Bulls were “whiners” about Detroit being bad for the game and even bad people – and that he has no regrets.
I was about winning basketball games and winning championships and did whatever I had to do get the most out of my ability and our team – and we did. At the end of the day, we’re called world champions.
–Bill Laimbeer, Las Vegas Aces coach (ESPN’s The Jump with Rachel Nichols)
Nichols also asked a question on the mind of many a WNBA fan – if there will be a 2020 season. Laimbeer believes that what Cathy Engelbert and the WNBA does will be based on if the NBA takes the lead in moving forward with its season this summer.
They’re working very hard trying to find solutions. They have a lot more zeroes than we do in the WNBA. So, we’re going to take our cue from them.
–Bill Laimbeer, Las Vegas Aces coach (ESPN’s The Jump with Rachel Nichols)
😱 Coach Bill! pic.twitter.com/Wlgi9bugwb
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) April 27, 2020
Us acting shocked like we didn’t know why Bill was called Bad Boy Bill.#TheLastDance | #BadBoyBill pic.twitter.com/W2D40g6muU
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) April 27, 2020
Us every time they show Bill in those short shorts.#TheLastDance | #BadBoyBill pic.twitter.com/RUClOj04PR
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) April 27, 2020
When Bill gets inspired by #TheLastDance and calls for the Indian drill. pic.twitter.com/1Ojke2edc2
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) April 27, 2020
Bill 😂
— A’ja Wilson (@_ajawilson22) April 27, 2020
Us seeing Bill on the 📺 already knowing he was going to be in this episode.#TheLastDance | #BadBoyBill pic.twitter.com/aKw2wE8rKm
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) April 27, 2020
