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“Met the criteria to be selected to Team USA, but I wasn’t”: Isiah Thomas hilariously reacts to Trae Young referencing the Pistons legend’s feud with Michael Jordan after being snubbed from Team USA

Samir Mehdi
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“Met the criteria to be selected to Team USA, but I wasn’t”: Isiah Thomas hilariously reacts to Trae Young referencing the Pistons legend’s feud with Michael Jordan after being snubbed from Team USA

Trae Young shares a video of Isiah Thomas saying he met the criteria to be selected to the ‘Dream Team’ after being snubbed from Team USA. 

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the sports world as last night, news broke surrounding Bradley Beal and his inability to travel with Team USA to Tokyo for the Olympics. This is because he is currently placed in ‘Health and Safety Protocols’. Trae Young saw Beal’s absence as an opportunity to perhaps squeeze his way onto the Olympics squad. 

Unfortunately for the Hawks point guard, he didn’t seem to receive a call from USA Basketball regarding his involvement on the team. Trae Young would’ve been a great fit alongside guys who are essentially shoot first, iso players such as Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum.

Damian Lillard does have a knack for the finding the roll man but it seems as though Coach Pop isn’t all too keen on conducting PnRs.

Also read: “Luka Doncic right now is better than me in my prime”: Dirk Nowitzki assures Mavericks fans that their Slovenian prodigy has already surpassed him

Though Trae Young is also, usually, a shoot-first guard, he would have no problem being relegated to a facilitator role. In 16 Playoff games, he averaged nearly 10 assists a game while boasting an assist to turnover ratio of over 2. 

Isiah Thomas react to Trae Young emulating him after being snubbed from Team USA. 

Trae Young took to Twitter after learning about his lack of involvement with USA basketball this year and posted a video of Isiah Thomas ranting about being snubbed from the ‘Dream Team’ in 1992. Isiah Thomas himself took notice of this and posted a couple laughing emojis in acknowledgement of his predicament.

Also read: “Michael Jordan’s hands are like a cheat code”: Jamal Crawford narrates how the 6-time champion played pickup ball competitively even in his Wizards tenure

Isiah Thomas was famously left off of the 1992 Dream Team due to Michael Jordan being uncomfortable with him being on it. This, of course, stemmed from their countless ECF and regular season battles the years prior where the ‘Bad Boy’ Pistons would physically dominate the Bulls. 

Many criticized Jordan for this but those same people perhaps forget that Isiah Thomas lobbied for keeping Michael Jordan out of the 1985 All-Star Game his rookie season. So essentially, it delved into a game of tit-for-tat between the two Hall-of-Famers. 

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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