Highly anticipated “The Dream Team” documentary will air tonight on NBAtv and it’s sure to impress. The film documents the best team put together in the history of sports as they took on the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. One of the rumors that circulated for years was finally addressed and confirmed.
Isiah Thomas of the Detroit Pistons was blackballed from the Dream Team. It was led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen but there were also NBA execs who were more than happy to freeze out Thomas.
“That was one of the stipulations put to me (on the team) that Isiah wasn’t part of the team,’’ Jordan said.
“Isiah was the general (of the Bad Boy Pistons),’’ Pippen said. “He was the guy who would yap at his teammates and say ‘Kick them on their ass. Do whatever you have to do.’ No, I didn’t want him on the Dream Team.’’
Michael Jordan’s stipulation was that if Isiah Thomas was on the team he would not and well Jordan was the king of basketball and whatever he said pretty much goes.
Granik pointed to an incident at the end of the Bulls/Pistons playoff series that year where Thomas led his teammates off the court before the final buzzer even sounded. That kind of sportsmanship and image was not what the NBA wanted to project to the world.
And that’s how it went down, Isiah Thomas was blocked from the Dream Team and well you know how the rest of his legacy went down but that’s another story.
Isiah Thomas was one of the greatest basketball players and for him to be blackballed from the Dream Team was utterly disgraceful. Don’t be fooled by the current state of basketball where everyone is trying to be friends, the nature of the game is rivalries none of those guys were friends. So Thomas froze Jordan out during the All-Star game of his rookie year, so Thomas wasn’t a “nice” guy that doesn’t justify him being denied an honor he justly earned.
Isiah Thomas was not apart of the Dream Team and not apart of the documentary but that doesn’t change its greatness. I’m sure some other very interesting details will be brought to light, make sure you check it out.
Shaina (@Shay_Marie)
