Kevin Durant Would Have Won Six Rings in Jordan’s Place on the Bulls

The decades-old feud between Chicago icons Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas has been going on for so long that it’s practically been cooked to well-done. What began in the 1980s has continued up to this day, with Thomas claiming that the Chicago Bulls were built so well that Kevin Durant would still win six NBA rings if he replaced Jordan on the roster.

Pressed to expound on his comments further during his appearance on “The Crossover Podcast,” the legendary guard of the Detroit Pistons doubled down on his earlier statements, saying that Durant at the pinch post, with his height, length, and exceptional skills, would have had no problem dominating in the NBA Finals.

Durant’s Hypothetical Fit in Chicago

Thomas first touched on Durant’s hypothetical fit in Chicago, saying the grit and hyper-focus on hoops that the latter has shown throughout his career would no doubt allow him to mesh well with that dominant Bulls team that reigned in the 1990s. Thomas said this kind of fit is crucial when dealing with hypotheticals like these, as NBA history has shown that some players became Hall of Famers primarily because of their fit with a particular team.

“We talk about culture, and I’m going to start with the word culture first because here in Detroit, we got a culture. You got to be a certain way to play here. Everybody can’t play here. I don’t care how good you are,” Thomas said. “How pretty your jump shot is, how high you jump, and all that. This place ain’t for everybody. Ben Wallace can get off here. Ben Wallace, in another city, may not be in the Hall of Fame. Ben Wallace in Detroit? Oh, that’s our dude,” he added. “Bill Laimbeer in Detroit? That’s our dude. Bill Laimbeer in another city? He all right.”

The Case for Durant in the Triangle Offense

As talented as Jordan was, he became nearly unstoppable when Bulls head coach Phil Jackson placed him at either the pinch or low post in their famed “Triangle Offense.” With His Airness at that sweet spot, the defense was placed in a compromised situation that either Jordan, Scottie Pippen, or other Bulls role players could exploit.

Thomas argued that Durant’s skill set would translate seamlessly into that same system, surrounded by the same supporting cast that helped Jordan win six championships. “Kevin Durant with Scottie Pippen, Tony Kukoc, Dennis Rodman, or Horace Grant, or any of them other dudes that they had on that team, B.J. Armstrong, Craig Hodges. You put him in the triangle post,” Thomas explained. “Now, Kevin Durant, arguably the greatest mid-range scorer the league has ever seen. You put him in the triangle post in the NBA Finals those six times, and he’s guarded by Jeff Hornacek? Is he giving Hornacek numbers? Is he giving Nate McMillan and Gary Payton numbers?” he added.

In a separate appearance discussing the same hypothetical, Thomas offered an even more pointed assessment of how unguardable Durant would have been in that specific role within Jackson’s system. “KD would be a problem in that triple post. Who is guarding him? He’s catching it at the foul line, pinch post. He’s catching it at midrange on the low post,” Thomas said.

The Origins of the Hypothetical

Thomas first floated the provocative comparison during an earlier appearance on the “Run It Back” podcast, where he laid out the full scope of his argument. “And I said this to Kevin Durant, and I’m going to say this to all of you sitting on the panel. If you put him back in our era, put him in that triple post, that mid post area, take Michael Jordan out, and you give him Scottie Pippen, Toni Kukoč, Dennis Rodman, B.J. Armstrong, Craig Hodges around him. Would he have won six championships? Absolutely,” Thomas said at the time.

The Roots of the Thomas-Jordan Rivalry

The friction between Thomas and Jordan dates back decades and has never fully resolved itself, despite both men now being decades removed from their playing careers. While Jordan has long since moved on from his feud with Thomas, the Pistons legend has continued to take aim at his rival’s legacy at various opportunities over the years, with the Durant comparison representing his latest and perhaps most pointed shot.

NFL legend Shannon Sharpe offered his own theory on why Thomas continues to revisit the subject, suggesting the comments are rooted in a long-standing grievance rather than genuine basketball analysis. Speaking on the “Nightcap” podcast, Sharpe said he believes Thomas’ comments were made purely because of his grudge against the Bulls legend after he was left off the 1992 Dream Team. “It’s the dream team,” Sharpe said. “Isiah Thomas should have been on the dream team, no matter what you think. Thomas was a two-time champion at the time of the selection. Isiah Thomas was a two-time champion and a finals MVP.”

Why Phil Jackson’s System Mattered

Central to Thomas’ argument is the specific structure of Jackson’s offensive system, which the coach used to devastating effect across multiple championship runs with different personnel. Jackson mastered the triangle offense strategy, which guided him to 11 championships with the Bulls and later with the Los Angeles Lakers. In Chicago, his central figure in the system was Jordan, while in Los Angeles, it was Kobe Bryant. In the modern era, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has come closest to replicating that system.

Thomas believes that Durant’s elite scoring capabilities would have made him similarly effective as the system’s central figure, given how the triangle offense was designed to unlock mid-range scorers by repeatedly putting them in advantageous positions on the floor.

Durant’s Own Relationship With Jordan’s Legacy

Despite Thomas’ provocative comparison, Durant himself has continued to publicly express respect for Jordan throughout his own career, even as he climbs the all-time scoring leaderboard. It is certainly nice to see Durant giving his flowers to Jordan as he chases Kobe Bryant for the fourth spot on that all-time list — a contrast that underscores the comparison was very much Thomas’ own framing rather than something Durant himself has actively pushed.

With Thomas continuing to revisit and expand on the hypothetical across multiple podcast appearances in recent months, the debate shows little sign of fading from the broader basketball conversation anytime soon. Whether viewed as legitimate historical analysis of roster fit and system design, or as the latest chapter in a decades-old personal grudge against Jordan, Thomas’ willingness to keep making the case publicly ensures the comparison between Durant’s game and Jordan’s championship legacy will likely continue generating discussion among fans and analysts well into the offseason.