In a recent interview with the ‘PBD Podcast,‘ Scottie Pippen discussed the contentious snubbing of Isiah Thomas from the 1992 Dream Team. He illuminated the delicate dynamics crucial in creating one of basketball’s most recognizable teams. His comments highlight that connections and team dynamics played a role in Thomas’s exclusion rather than just one person.
According to Bulls Legend, Isiah Thomas’ tense connections with some of the Dream Team’s best talents led to his exclusion from the 1992 roster. Pippen claims that Team USA was thoughtfully assembled to keep the players in peace.
Pippen explained, “I think it was a known fact, that he wasn’t on the team. I can’t say why he wasn’t on the team. I can’t even point, best say that any individual put him off the team. Basketball is a game built on relationships and that team was put together based on relationships, players that they felt could get along, players that they felt could play together and players that they felt like could contribute in the right way to win a gold medal.”
He added, “Dominique Wilkins was left off of that team and I personally feel as bad as anyone. To see a guy who I idolized, who I looked up to, who I guarded, who I defended numerous amount of times, not be a part of that team. But, I didn’t want to sacrifice my seat to give it up to him. But with all respect, I felt like he deserved to be on that team as well not just Isiah.”
Moreover, Chuck Daly, the Pistons’ head coach, coached the Dream Team. So, it seems those in higher positions had a say in roster choices. They seem to prioritize interpersonal ties over basketball skills.
Scottie Pippen Highlighted How Isiah Thomas Wasn’t The Only NBA Star To Get Snubbed
Scottie Pippen also pointed out that there were other noteworthy omissions besides Thomas. Despite his outstanding credentials, another NBA legend, Dominique Wilkins, was not included on the team. Scottie Pippen regretted Wilkins’s omission. Nevertheless, he was open about not being prepared to risk losing his position on the squad.
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Isiah Thomas has long conjectured that his absence was mostly due to Michael Jordan. The Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls had one of the most intense rivalries in NBA history in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Thomas’s “Bad Boys” Pistons played a rough style of play that many, including Jordan, hated.
Scottie Pippen‘s remarks show that the Dream Team’s makeup was as much about team relationships and unity as it was about skill. Thomas was unquestionably one of the best point guards of his time. However, his destiny was probably determined by the intricacies of human relationships and the lingering effects of previous rivalries.
