Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas were such good friends that they didn’t mind exchanging kisses in the middle of the court in an era where everybody wanted to decapitate each other’s heads off.
With that being said, their affinity did not stop the Los Angeles Lakers legend from doing what he had to. Before Karl Malone violently hit Zeke with an elbow to the forehead in 1991, Magic did it in Game 1 of the 1988 NBA Finals. It was never as serious as Malone’s 40-stitch act, but it was enough to send a stern message.
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No love lost between Magic and Zeke
Johson admitted that his relationship with Thomas was “incredible.” It began to fade through the years because of their Finals rivalry and the fact that Magic revealed his role in Zeke’s exclusion from the 1992 Dream Team. The Lakers legend never bothered defending the Piston point guard because he believed the latter started rumors that he was gay in the aftermath of his HIV announcement.
As mentioned, the seeds of animosity were planted in the 1988 NBA finals, the first of two straight championship meetings between “Showtime” and the Bad Boys. Nobody was willing to give an inch, and Magic showed the Lakers what another title meant to him when he smacked Thomas right across the face in Game 1 of that year’s championship series.
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At that point in the game, the Pistons were winning big. The 3-point shot was more like a desperation attempt than a staple in that era. With over seven minutes remaining in the game and Detroit up by 17, there was nothing left for L.A. but to show there was still some fight left in them.
Johnson committed his fifth with that hard foul and sat out the rest of the way. The Lakers never gained much ground, losing by 12 after the final buzzer sounded, 105-93. But as expected, both superstars understood the reason behind the action. Magic, for one, never dismissed their friendship, but also wouldn’t think twice to do it all over again.
“If he comes in there again, I’m still gonna slam him. He’s gotta do what he’s gotta do, and I’ve gotta do what I’ve gotta do. If he comes through there again, we might both have to pay the price,” Johnson said, per Mike Down of The Los Angeles Times.
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The only price paid for that series was the Pistons’ collective bruised ego. “Big Game” James Worthy delivered a 36-point, 16-rebound masterpiece in Game 7 to secure a back-to-back for the Purple & Gold.
The Pistons served revenge
The way Magic made Zeke eat his elbow was pretty much the norm in the NBA back in the day. Players were encouraged to do that, and the league office never responded more than a tap on the wrist.
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Interestingly, the physicality that the Lakers brought that night sparked a reign of terror in the NBA for two years. Behind Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn, Dennis Rodman, and the rest of the Pistons, Detroit embraced a physical style that wore down teams over a seven-game series.
It paid off with back-to-back titles. The Pistons completed a four-game sweep of their 1988 tormentors a year later and handled the Portland Trail Blazers fairly easily in 1990.
It’s probably a reach to say Magic ultimately helped the Pistons by demonstrating the mindset needed to get over the hump, but it’s also naive to claim the 1988 incident didn’t play a role. Those wars caused a massive dent in their friendship, but it’s probably worth it if the price came in the form of two Larry O’Brien trophies.
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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.