During the 1980s, Isiah Thomas became one of the best point guards in NBA history and shined as the superstar of the Detroit Pistons. But his reputation as one of the leaders of the “Bad Boy” Pistons didn't do him any favors in the eyes of fellow NBA superstars. No example made that more clear than his exclusion from the Dream Team.
One of the most infamous moments of Thomas' career was when he was not selected to represent the United States at the 1992 Olympics. While Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and company conquered the Olympic basketball scene and took home the gold medal — led by coach Chuck Daly, the coach of the Pistons at the time — Thomas was left off the roster.
On the Hoop du Jour podcast with Peter Vescey (at the 31:50 mark), Isiah Thomas revealed that he still rooted for the squad despite not being chosen. “I watched every game and I rooted for them,” he said, “because I had no animosity for anyone at that time…I've heard from everyone on the Dream Team.”
The prevailing story about why Thomas was left off was that he did not get along with Jordan, especially after the Pistons snubbed the Chicago Bulls by walking off the court prematurely after losing to them in the 1991 playoffs. Their personal grudge can still be felt years later as Thomas proclaims LeBron James the NBA's GOAT. Many of the other players on the Dream Team surely felt similarly, as Thomas and the Pistons developed a reputation for proudly being the villains of basketball.
Still, Isiah Thomas' talent, particularly his defense and playmaking, would have made the team much better. At the end of the day, Thomas was rooting for the Dream Team like all Americans and seems to be in good graces with the members of it today.
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