By now, I’m sure everyone (or most–I don’t have cable, therefore I’m unable to) has watched or at least heard about the ESPN series “The Last Dance”. It chronicles the final season of the Chicago Bulls during their 1997-98 sixth NBA Championship season. Also, it has brought some interesting comments from former Detroit Pistons point guard Isiah Thomas.
Really Zeke?
According to this piece posted by the folks at ESPN, nearly 30 years later, it still upsets him that he was not chosen for the team. Here are a couple of quotes from Zeke himself on his omission.
“I thought I should’ve made that Dream Team. However, I wasn’t a part of it — that hurt me.”
Isiah Thomas, ESPN
“Looking back, if I’m not a part of the Dream Team because a lapse in emotion in terms of not shaking someone’s hand — if that’s the reason why I didn’t make the Dream Team, then I am more disappointed today than I was back then when I wasn’t selected.”
Isiah Thomas, ESPN
The second quote is in reference to an incident back in 1991. The “bad boy” Pistons were on the downside of their multi-year run on top of the NBA. The (then) young, upstart Jordan-led Bulls swept the Pistons out of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. With only seconds remaining in the final game of the series, Detroit Pistons center Bill Laimbeer orchestrated the team walking off the court without shaking hands or congratulating the Bulls. Isiah Thomas was a part of this.
The NBA’s Top All-Time Players
Let’s go back to 2016 when ESPN released its rankings of the game’s all-time greatest players. Thomas was ranked ahead of only three of the 11 NBA players on the Dream Team. He finished ahead of Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, and Chris Mullin. Also putting things into perspective: Shaq was ranked as the ninth-best player ever. He was still in college at the time and got left off for Laettner. The 10th greatest player ever was also left off the Dream Team roster, Hakeem Olajuwon. “The Dream” was on the 1996 Olympic Team, for the record.
Asked Isiah to rank the five best players he ever played against based on his own experience. His answer:
— Bill Reiter (@sportsreiter) April 27, 2020
1. Kareem
2. Bird
3. Magic
4. Jordan ?
5. Dr. J https://t.co/YDojum1dYD
If that isn’t bad enough, Thomas also says that MJ is “only” the fourth-best player he ever played against. Michael is widely regarded as the greatest player ever. For Isiah to say this, is borderline moronic or insanity in my opinion. This is with the utmost respect intended to Kareem. To Larry. To Magic. These are the three guys who Thomas ranked ahead of Jordan. For reference, he ranked Dr. J fifth on his list of top opponents.
Writer’s Take
The 1992 basketball Dream Team was no joke. For Isiah Thomas to be left off of it speaks volumes to the talent of the roster. Think about it. You had Magic, Michael and Larry. You had Stockton and Malone. Also, you had Barkley, Ewing, David Robinson, Drexler, Pippen and Mullin. They left one spot open for one collegiate player. They eventually chose Christian Laettner over Shaq for the 12th and final spot.
Zeke, who on God’s green earth do you think was going to get the boot so you could play on this team? Let’s look at the two guys who also play your position: Magic and Stockton. Both of them are no-brainer selections. Arguably the top two point guards in the history of the game. Magic’s statistics and accomplishments need go no further. Stockton is the NBA’s all-time leader in two different categories (assists and steals).
I am willing to bet my paychecks for the rest of my life that there are very few to zero NBA fans who would place MJ no lower than third on their list of best players in the game’s history.
The Belly Up Hoops team has every angle of this debate covered. Check out why Chaka Cummings feels just as strongly that Thomas absolutely should have been included on the Dream Team.
If anyone has anything to add to the Isiah Thomas saga, please follow me on twitter using the handle @TonySutcliffe6. Also be sure to check out our other great articles here at bellyupsports.
