Forced By Vaccaro to Appear on SNL, Michael Jordan Refused to Escalate Feud with ‘A**hole’ Isiah Thomas

Nithin Joseph | 31/03/2023
Forced By Vaccaro to Appear on SNL, Michael Jordan Refused to Escalate Feud with 'A**hole' Isiah Thomas

Michael Jordan is one of the greatest players in NBA history. His Airness did it all in his 15 seasons in the league. Six NBA Championships, six Finals MVPs, five Regular Season MVPs, and an Olympic Gold Medal make for an astounding resume.

Speaking of his Olympic Gold Medal, MJ won it as part of the Dream Team at the 1992 Summer Olympic Games. It was a dominant performance from a team featuring several Hall of Famers, including the likes of Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen, and many more. However, there was one significant absentee, Isiah Thomas.

At the time, it was no secret that Jordan had it out for Thomas. Rumor had it that he was responsible for Isiah not being on the squad. But, when SNL asked him to do a skit on the same, he flat-out refused.

Michael Jordan refused to do an SNL sketch mocking Isiah Thomas’ absence from the Dream Team

Saturday Night Live is a well-known comedy showcase. One that has featured several popular celebrities over the years, including NBA superstars. The likes of Bill Russell, Charles Barkley, and LeBron James have made appearances on the infamous 30 Rock Plaza.

However, perhaps the greatest baller to appear on the show is none other than Michael Jordan. His Airness was featured in the Season 17 premiere of the show back in 1991 after Sonny Vaccaro forced him to appear.

There were many memorable skits from the night. But, there were several that didn’t make it to air or get recorded either. Like a skit, the show’s producers wanted to do surrounding MJ’s insistence on keeping Isiah Thomas off the Dream Team. And, as revealed in Roland Lazenby’s Michael Jordan: The Life, it was a skit he refused to do.

“The producers had wanted to do a skit about an effort by Jordan to keep Isiah Thomas off the Olympic team, but he refused. His opening segment in hosting SNL was roundly flat and unfunny, and Jordan certainly rued the decision afterward.”

It was Jordan’s attempt at preventing his feud with Isiah from escalating any further. Well, 29 years later, the world found out just how badly he wanted to end the beef.

MJ went in on “a**hole” Isiah Thomas in the Last Dance Documentary

Despite his refusal to do a skit mocking Isiah Thomas, Michael Jordan’s true feelings towards the Piston’s legend were revealed years later. The Hall of Famer, publically bashed Zeke in the Last Dance documentary, referring to him as an “a**hole” on several occasions. He even admitted that he refused to be on the Olympics team if he had to play with him.

It certainly wasn’t a good look for both Jordan and Isiah. He may not have had anything to do with the decision. But, at the end of the day, he definitely had a strong influence on it.

Post Edited By: Adit Pujari
Isiah Thomas Michael Jordan

About the author

Nithin Joseph

Nithin is a content writer at The SportsRush. Like his favorite athlete Kobe Bryant, the company has helped Nithin elevate his writing skills to a whole new level, especially as an NBA content writer. With over 1500 articles to his name, Nithin's love for the sport knows no bounds. And, as he continues to watch the sport on a daily basis, he hopes his fascination with the NBA, especially the Miami Heat will inspire more and more readers to give the sport a chance. Perhaps, one day making basketball in India as big as it is in the United States.

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