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Michael Jordan Audio Surfaces: If Isiah Thomas Is On Dream Team, I Won’t Play
Posted on 5/26/20 at 12:07 pm
Posted on 5/26/20 at 12:07 pm
quote:
Michael Jordan is contradicting Michael Jordan ... and it's all on tape.
Remember when MJ said on "The Last Dance" that he didn't have any specific involvement in blocking Isiah Thomas from being on the legendary dream team?
Yeah, well ... now audio has surfaced from an old interview in which MJ says straight-up he told 1992 Olympics selection committee member Rod Thorn he's OUT if Thomas makes the team.
It's all on Jack McCallum's 'The Dream Team Tapes' -- here's the transcription.
"Rod Thorn called me. I said, ‘Rod, I won’t play if Isiah Thomas is on the team.' He assured me. He said, 'You know what? Chuck [Chuck Daly] doesn’t want Isiah. So, Isiah is not going to be part of the team.'"
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Posted on 5/26/20 at 12:10 pm to Bench McElroy
This should be a non-story. MJ absolutely had a hand in keeping Isiah off the team. He hated Isiah and you can see it in the documentary.
He wasn't the only one, though. Pippen didn't like Isiah. Bird didn't like him after Isiah's "if Bird was black, he'd be just another good player" comment. Magic was closest to Isiah, but not enough to stick up for him.
So yeah, MJ campaigned against Isiah. McCallum's book is pretty clear. He wasn't the only one, though.
He wasn't the only one, though. Pippen didn't like Isiah. Bird didn't like him after Isiah's "if Bird was black, he'd be just another good player" comment. Magic was closest to Isiah, but not enough to stick up for him.
So yeah, MJ campaigned against Isiah. McCallum's book is pretty clear. He wasn't the only one, though.
This post was edited on 5/26/20 at 12:11 pm
Posted on 5/26/20 at 12:11 pm to Bench McElroy
quote:
didn't have any specific involvement
quote:
Chuck [Chuck Daly] doesn’t want Isiah. So, Isiah is not going to be part of the team.'"
Posted on 5/26/20 at 12:12 pm to Bench McElroy
I was under the impression after watching the doc that Jordan wasn't the only one who didn't want to play with him, meaning that he wasn't the sole reason IT was excluded.
Posted on 5/26/20 at 12:14 pm to Rep520
His own coach didn’t want the motherfricker on the team. Neither did his friend Magic Johnson.
He was an insufferable piece of shite that nobody liked.
He was an insufferable piece of shite that nobody liked.
Posted on 5/26/20 at 12:18 pm to TigerFanInSouthland
quote:
His own coach didn’t want the motherfricker on the team. Neither did his friend Magic Johnson.
I think Daly and Magic would have been ok with Isiah, but neither was going to stick their neck out for someone widely disliked.
MJ, Bird and Pippen were 3 of the first 5 guys picked and none was interested in playing with Isiah. Isiah would have needed Magic or Daly to advocate aggressively for him to have a chance at overcoming that and they didn't.
Posted on 5/26/20 at 12:20 pm to TigerFanInSouthland
quote:
He was an insufferable fig that nobody liked.
Posted on 5/26/20 at 12:31 pm to Rep520
quote:
This should be a non-story. MJ absolutely had a hand in keeping Isiah off the team. He hated Isiah and you can see it in the documentary.
He wasn't the only one, though. Pippen didn't like Isiah. Bird didn't like him after Isiah's "if Bird was black, he'd be just another good player" comment. Magic was closest to Isiah, but not enough to stick up for him.
So yeah, MJ campaigned against Isiah. McCallum's book is pretty clear. He wasn't the only one, though.
I think its a bit weird that he would lie about something when no one would blame him for telling the truth, for all the reasons you listed.
Posted on 5/26/20 at 12:35 pm to Bench McElroy
If any other athlete did this besides Jordan, this board would destroy them and call them petty, childish, etc....
Posted on 5/26/20 at 12:55 pm to Tomherman
quote:
Color me shocked
This.
A story published for those who are new to the NBA.
This is well known, & I don’t give a shite whether Jordan contradicts himself. This was well known 30 years ago.
Posted on 5/26/20 at 12:55 pm to Bench McElroy
If Isiah is on the team then who gets left off? Stockton?
This post was edited on 5/26/20 at 1:00 pm
Posted on 5/26/20 at 1:01 pm to LSUlefty
quote:
If Isiah is on the team then who gets left off? Stockton?
Yes, it was Isiah or Stockton.
So, they could have chosen Isiah and jeopardized MJ, Pippen and Bird competing, or just take Stockton, who was a great player and wouldn't piss anyone off.
Posted on 5/26/20 at 1:03 pm to Bench McElroy
quote:
Michael Jordan Audio Surfaces: If Isiah Thomas Is On Dream Team, I Won’t Play
Posted on 5/26/20 at 1:04 pm to Cap Crunch
quote:
I think its a bit weird that he would lie about something when no one would blame him for telling the truth, for all the reasons you listed.
When did he lie? He said he wasn't playing if Isiah played. It was someone else's decision.
Posted on 5/26/20 at 1:09 pm to Hurricane Mike
In the doc, Jordan said this about the conversation with Thorn:
This does contradict that he never brought Isiah up.
Ultimately, though, I'm not sure why it matters. I'm not even sure why MJ denied it in the doc. Just say "yeah, I didn't want to play with Isiah and I wasn't the only one." That's basically the plain truth.
quote:
"I respect Isiah Thomas' talent. To me, the best point guard of all time is Magic Johnson and right behind him is Isiah Thomas. No matter how much I hate him, I respect his game. Now, it was insinuated that I was asking about him, but I never threw his name in there."
This does contradict that he never brought Isiah up.
Ultimately, though, I'm not sure why it matters. I'm not even sure why MJ denied it in the doc. Just say "yeah, I didn't want to play with Isiah and I wasn't the only one." That's basically the plain truth.
Posted on 5/26/20 at 1:33 pm to Bench McElroy
That sounded more like Magic than MJ actually
Posted on 5/26/20 at 1:39 pm to Bench McElroy
quote:
Michael Jordan Audio Surfaces: If Isiah Thomas Is On Dream Team, I Won’t Play
So what? It's beyond common knowledge at this point the beef so many players on that team had with Isiah, what's more damning is Isiah's own coach threw him under the bus, that SUCKS
Posted on 5/26/20 at 1:46 pm to LSUlefty
quote:
If Isiah is on the team then who gets left off? Stockton?
Yes, Stockton was ascending at this point but he didn't have the resume Isiah had then
Posted on 5/26/20 at 1:53 pm to Rep520
quote:
This does contradict that he never brought Isiah up.
Ultimately, though, I'm not sure why it matters. I'm not even sure why MJ denied it in the doc. Just say "yeah, I didn't want to play with Isiah and I wasn't the only one." That's basically the plain truth.
Regardless of what’s said in The Last Dance, The Dream Team by Jack McCallum is the definitive work on the 1992 Olympic team and it’s formation.
It’s a great read that I suggest for any basketball fan.
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