For decades, one of the most controversial snubs in NBA history has been Isiah Thomas’ exclusion from the 1992 Dream Team. The belief that Michael Jordan played a key role in keeping the Detroit Pistons legend off the roster has fueled countless debates.
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The widely accepted theory has been that Jordan, who didn’t get along with Thomas, told USA Basketball he wouldn’t participate if Zeke was selected. But not everyone agrees with that version of events. In a 2019 interview, former NBA player and close friend of Thomas, John Salley, offered a different perspective.
As per Salley, it wasn’t Jordan who blocked Zeke’s inclusion; it was Magic Johnson. Prior to the 1992 snub, Zeke and Magic weren’t on good terms. Game 3 of the 1988 NBA Finals is believed to be the turning point of their relationship. Magic hit Thomas in the throat with his forearm, letting everyone know there was no love between the two.
As for MJ and Zeke, there was a lot of tension between the two before the Olympic snub. In 1991, after getting swept by the Bulls, the Pistons walked off the court without shaking hands with the Bulls players. Jordan felt disrespected by their action, and the following year, the Dream Team saga took over.
In ‘The Last Dance’ documentary, Thomas expressed disappointment over not being picked for the Olympics. Without taking any names to pin the blame on, he said, “I don’t know what went into that process. I met the criteria to be selected, but I wasn’t.”
Despite that, Salley believes that Jordan and Thomas were on good terms. He claimed that despite the rivalry between the Bulls and Pistons in the late ’80s and early ’90s, Jordan actually had great respect for Isiah and the Pistons as a whole. “He loved Isiah, still does…He loved everything about us in Detroit,” Salley said.
Salley also stated that Jordan wasn’t interested in petty off-court drama. His sole focus was basketball and competition. What changed the dynamic, according to Salley, was Magic Johnson.
He said, “In Magic’s documentary, Magic says because he was upset with Isiah…Magic said he blocked it…Michael doesn’t even talk.” The irony of it all is that Thomas and Magic had once been close friends. But by the time the Dream Team was being formed, their relationship had reportedly soured.
Zeke’s fallout with Magic may have been the final blow to his Dream Team hopes, at least according to Salley’s version of events. Over the years, however, they have reconciled their relationship and left the past behind, unlike MJ and Thomas.
