Michael Jordan is often the one credited for Isaiah Thomas’ snub from the 1992 Dream Team. Thomas himself expressed major frustration about the whole situation and even pointed the finger at MJ in an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up!
“That’s a big hole on my [basketball] resume,” Thomas continued. “That is the biggest hole in my resume. … In the sports arena, I’ve won at every level. I tried to do everything correctly, and I thought I should’ve made that Dream Team. And looking back, if I’m not a part of the Dream Team because a lapse in emotion in terms of not shaking someone’s hand, then I am more disappointed today than I was back then.”
"Looking back, if I'm not a part of the Dream Team because a lapse in emotion in terms of not shaking someone's hand … then I am more disappointed today than I was back then."
Isiah Thomas is still "hurt" that he was left off the Dream Team. pic.twitter.com/YkRt8zIY09
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 27, 2020
So was it really Mike who cost Thomas a spot on the 19992 Dream Team? According to Michael Wilbon, at least half the members of that team were not keen on playing with Thomas at the time.
“At that point Magic and Isaiah had their thing. Bird and Isiah had their thing. And Scottie. That’s half the team. They did not want to play with him,” ESPN’s Michael Wilbon said in “The Last Dance” regarding Thomas’ relationship with the Dream Team.
Isiah Thomas and the “Bad Boy” Pistons were notorious for their rough, aggressive playstyle. They often bullied their way to victories, and it was highly controversial at the time.
Needless to say, Thomas and the crew made a lot of enemies, and Jordan was just one of many.
