[ranndomderr]

Isiah Thomas gets shredded in new Dream Team documentary

Kurt Helin
Jun 12, 2012, 5:51 PM EDT

2 Comments

Last night I got to watched an preview copy of the NBA Dream Team documentary that airs on NBA TV Wednesday, highlighting the 20th anniversary of the original (and greatest) Dream Team and their run up to and through the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Watch it. It is fantastic stuff. Great stories, a reminder of how huge this was and how it changed international basketball, and just a fun trip down memory lane.
But one thing that stuck out — everyone confirmed the long-time rumor that Pistons guard Isiah Thomas was blackballed from the team. It started with the Bulls Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, although Jordan hints there were people up the USA Basketball ladder that were more than happy to do that, and NBA exec Russ Granik basically confirmed that.
Jordan and Pippen pulled no punches.
“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.’’
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.
So Thomas was out in 1992. He would not be part of this documentary, either.
Seriously, watch the entire documentary. You’ll learn a lot more than this. But this part may be one of the most gripping.

[UnduttRit]

I was really young during the bad boy era and used to like Thomas a lot but as I got older I thought he was a scum bag. Even though Joe D has been a marginal at best GM, I'm glad Isiah has and will never run the pistons.

[Kotyara]

And in other news, water is wet.

Bottom line is this:

Isiah was the leader of the Bad Boys, a beloved franchise in Detroit, but hated pretty much everywhere else. And as the leader, of course Jordan and his puppet hated him.

Not only that, but Rodman once made a comment about if Bird were black he'd just be another player. Isiah essentially agreed with Rodman, and Bird never forgot about it. In fact, when Bird took over the Pacers, Isiah was still the HC, and was fired.

Isiah also took a viscious elbow from Karl Malone that led to a big melee. I can't recall if that was before or after 92 though.

The only person Isiah seemingly had in his corner was Magic, but by all accounts he and Magic weren't as close as they once were after Magic's AIDS announcement.

As a Pistons fan back in the day (I can no longer stomach the NBA), I loved Isiah's grit, determination, and leadership. He dominated men who were regularly 6 inches (or more) taller than him, and like it or not, the Pistons had a long run with him at the helm with the two rings to show for it.

There's no doubt as an outsider, I can see why fans and players alike despised the guy. We've seen all his shortcomings and failures since then, but Isiah wasn't only a great Piston, on merit alone he deserved to be on that Dream Team.

However, I think the bigger travesty was Christian Laetner over Shaq.

[yarita]

And in other news, water is wet.

Ima, is that you?

[Kotyara]

Ima, is that you?

He's too busy on FB talking about scratching checks to Phil Coke, and defending his Father of the Year award.

[Fluivelip]

I really hate that this is going to be on NBATV. It looks amazing.

[Larisochka]

And in other news, water is wet.

Bottom line is this:

Isiah was the leader of the Bad Boys, a beloved franchise in Detroit, but hated pretty much everywhere else. And as the leader, of course Jordan and his puppet hated him.

Not only that, but Rodman once made a comment about if Bird were black he'd just be another player. Isiah essentially agreed with Rodman, and Bird never forgot about it. In fact, when Bird took over the Pacers, Isiah was still the HC, and was fired.

Isiah also took a viscious elbow from Karl Malone that led to a big melee. I can't recall if that was before or after 92 though.

The only person Isiah seemingly had in his corner was Magic, but by all accounts he and Magic weren't as close as they once were after Magic's AIDS announcement.

As a Pistons fan back in the day (I can no longer stomach the NBA), I loved Isiah's grit, determination, and leadership. He dominated men who were regularly 6 inches (or more) taller than him, and like it or not, the Pistons had a long run with him at the helm with the two rings to show for it.

There's no doubt as an outsider, I can see why fans and players alike despised the guy. We've seen all his shortcomings and failures since then, but Isiah wasn't only a great Piston, on merit alone he deserved to be on that Dream Team.

However, I think the bigger travesty was Christian Laetner over Shaq.

Magic felt it was Zeke spreading a lot of the rumors about him. It ruined their friendship as it should.

Here's why he wasn't on the team, it was payback for ending the Celtics and Lakers dynasty and holding back the Bulls. Zeke was an asshole, but even if he was an "good guy" they still hated him for beating them. Isiah was 5 times the player Stockton and Mullins who IMO were only on the team because they were white.

[standaman]

Magic felt it was Zeke spreading a lot of the rumors about him. It ruined their friendship as it should.

Here's why he wasn't on the team, it was payback for ending the Celtics and Lakers dynasty and holding back the Bulls. Zeke was an asshole, but even if he was an "good guy" they still hated him for beating them. Isiah was 5 times the player Stockton and Mullins who IMO were only on the team because they were white.

really think you're undervaluing Stockton there and Mullins isn't a comparable player to Zeke.

[standaman]

Magic felt it was Zeke spreading a lot of the rumors about him. It ruined their friendship as it should.

Here's why he wasn't on the team, it was payback for ending the Celtics and Lakers dynasty and holding back the Bulls. Zeke was an asshole, but even if he was an "good guy" they still hated him for beating them. Isiah was 5 times the player Stockton and Mullins who IMO were only on the team because they were white.

I should add, at that point in their careers look up the season numbers Stockton was putting up to that of Isiah.

[elton]

Magic felt it was Zeke spreading a lot of the rumors about him. It ruined their friendship as it should.

Here's why he wasn't on the team, it was payback for ending the Celtics and Lakers dynasty and holding back the Bulls. Zeke was an asshole, but even if he was an "good guy" they still hated him for beating them. Isiah was 5 times the player Stockton and Mullins who IMO were only on the team because they were white.

Yeah, Stockton only led the league in assists for 9 straight years (with the most in NBA history by a stunning margin), Mullin was one of the leading scorers in the league at the time and they are both in the HOF. Just white guys, indeed.
Seriously dude, do you know anything about the NBA outside of your little homer world?