WOW isiah acting classy

[Knicksfever2010]

on his take of being freezed out of the olympic team.

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/isiah_thomas_responds_documentary_LC7HGXA3ygHOQNyP L2gLFL

"Today like all Americans I congratulate the Dream Team on their anniversary,

[NumberSix]

As great as MJ was, he's a billion times more of a douche bag than LeBron could ever be.

[TMT]

As great as MJ was, he's a billion times more of a douche bag than LeBron could ever be.

:no:

[JtotheIzzo]

As great as MJ was, he's a billion times more of a douche bag than LeBron could ever be.

Nah dude, he was just INSANELY competitive, had that MASSIVE killer instinct...:lol

Yeah, sadly 99% of NBA players are HUGE douchebags.

[IGotACoolStory]

As great as MJ was, he's a billion times more of a douche bag than LeBron could ever be.

It's that asshole in him which is what made him the GOAT. He wasn't going to take shit from anybody and, in fact, he was going to make sure you ate his shit. If you didn't like it, he doesn't care. But you better acknowledge he is better than you.

LeBron is a *****.

[RaininTwos]

Thats so f*cked up

[G-train]

Thomas reaped what he sowed, and he knows it.

[Sarcastic]

:no:

Jordan was the greatest player, and the greatest douche. Both at the same time.

[Haymaker]

Thomas reaped what he sowed, and he knows it.

Yup. Thomas treated MJ like scum.

[TheBigVeto]

Bitch got pwned. Serves him right.

[Da_Realist]

I think MJ was the scapegoat. He said the decision for Isiah to be left off the team was presented to him before he was involved and even said it felt like a decision made by the higher ups.

MJ played golf with Isiah's coach every day during the Olympics. He never had a problem with it.

He and Horace Grant despised each other for years, but it never stopped them from winning titles together.

He signed off on Dennis Rodman joining the team and won 3 titles with him.

He and Doug Collins had a rocky relationship near the end of Collin's tenure as Bulls head coach...yet MJ chose to play for him in Washington years later.

That doesn't mean MJ wanted Isiah on the team, I just don't think he was the one that kept him off. The Isiah decision was personal. There's only one guy that had a personal beef with Isiah and it was Magic Johnson who admitted as much in his book. (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/ian_thomsen/10/22/isiah.magic/index.html). Anyone else find it interesting that Magic was never even asked about Isiah???

[SpecialQue]

As great as MJ was, he's a billion times more of a douche bag than LeBron could ever be.

I have a hard time believing that even the biggest Lebron hater can't see this. Jordan's like Ty Cobb in that he was an amazing player, but absolute dogshit as a person.

[tontoz]

Isiah walking off the court before the last ECF game was over didn't help his cause. If i remember right Dumars stayed on the court and congratulated the Bulls.

[t-rex]

As great as MJ was, he's a billion times more of a douche bag than LeBron could ever be.


:applause:

[t-rex]

I think MJ was the scapegoat. He said the decision for Isiah to be left off the team was presented to him before he was involved and even said it felt like a decision made by the higher ups.

MJ played golf with Isiah's coach every day during the Olympics. He never had a problem with it.

He and Horace Grant despised each other for years, but it never stopped them from winning titles together.

He signed off on Dennis Rodman joining the team and won 3 titles with him.

He and Doug Collins had a rocky relationship near the end of Collin's tenure as Bulls head coach...yet MJ chose to play for him in Washington years later.

That doesn't mean MJ wanted Isiah on the team, I just don't think he was the one that kept him off. The Isiah decision was personal. There's only one guy that had a personal beef with Isiah and it was Magic Johnson who admitted as much in his book. (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/ian_thomsen/10/22/isiah.magic/index.html). Anyone else find it interesting that Magic was never even asked about Isiah???

Agreed. This was about more than Jordan. As I wrote in another thread on this topic, Bird and Magic didn't like Isiah either. Karl Malone and Scotty Pippen didn't want him on the team. Heck, Barkley called the Pistons A**holes in the documentary!


This was about much more than just Jordan.

Here is Karl Malone decking Isiah Thomas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bM-Y4UoiAY

[OhNoTimNoSho]

As great as MJ was, he's a billion times more of a douche bag than LeBron could ever be.
Yeah, but he won and thats all that really matters.

[nycelt84]

Agreed. This was about more than Jordan. As I wrote in another thread on this topic, Bird and Magic didn't like Isiah either. Karl Malone and Scotty Pippen didn't want him on the team. Heck, Barkley called the Pistons A**holes in the documentary!


This was about much more than just Jordan.

Here is Karl Malone decking Isiah Thomas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bM-Y4UoiAY

The Malone elbow was post Olympics. Isiah had destroyed Stockton in a game because he was upset at Stockton being on the Dream Team instead of him and that was Malone being a bitch about it.

[guy]

People fail to point this out, but it wasn't exactly a given that Isiah was better then Stockton. For example, he had stopped making all-nba teams after 1987, while Stockton was a regular. Not saying thats the end all be all, but people are acting like Isiah was on the level of Magic, Bird, and Jordan when he really wasn't regardless of the fact that he had won titles.

[Da_Realist]

People fail to point this out, but it wasn't exactly a given that Isiah was better then Stockton. For example, he had stopped making all-nba teams after 1987, while Stockton was a regular. Not saying thats the end all be all, but people are acting like Isiah was on the level of Magic, Bird, and Jordan when he really wasn't regardless of the fact that he had won titles.

More than anybody left off, Isiah should have been on the team. I don't think Magic was comfortable hanging out with Isiah Thomas all summer after feeling like he was so betrayed. And if he felt that way, I don't blame him. I think all this other reasons we've been given all these years is bullsh*t. The Isiah Thomas decision was personal and no one else had a personal vested interest in not wanting to play with him aside from Magic. I think a lot of other players went along with it and some of them were maybe glad he didn't come, but I think Magic was the guy behind the scenes that said no. That's my guess. I find it hard to believe they didn't ask Magic about him considering the things he said in his book. If someone did ask him, I wonder why that footage was left on the cutting room floor.

[guy]

More than anybody left off, Isiah should have been on the team. I don't think Magic was comfortable hanging out with Isiah Thomas all summer after feeling like he was so betrayed. And if he felt that way, I don't blame him. I think all this other reasons we've been given all these years is bullsh*t. The Isiah Thomas decision was personal and no one else had a personal vested interest in not wanting to play with him aside from Magic. I think a lot of other players went along with it and some of them were maybe glad he didn't come, but I think Magic was the guy behind the scenes that said no. That's my guess. I find it hard to believe they didn't ask Magic about him considering the things he said in his book. If someone did ask him, I wonder why that footage was left on the cutting room floor.

I think in his book he said he didn't try to get him off the team, but he wasn't going to push for him to be included and try to convince the people that didn't like him like Jordan, Bird, Pippen, Malone to be okay with playing with him, which he would've probably done before if it wasn't for that betrayal.

[Da_Realist]

Ok, scratch what I said about Magic. I was wrong. The selection committee had already made the decision to leave Isiah off the team by September 1991 (http://articles.latimes.com/1991-09-21/sports/sp-2212_1_basketball-team). Magic didn't announce to the world he was HIV positive until November 1991.

So...sh*t. I don't know. Maybe the reasons were legit.

[t-rex]

People fail to point this out, but it wasn't exactly a given that Isiah was better then Stockton. For example, he had stopped making all-nba teams after 1987, while Stockton was a regular. Not saying thats the end all be all, but people are acting like Isiah was on the level of Magic, Bird, and Jordan when he really wasn't regardless of the fact that he had won titles.


True.

But the dream team was an award for great play. Not a true test of who where the best NBA players of 1992.

Bird in 1992 was not among the top 2-3 best players in the league. But he was put on the team kind of as a career legacy award.

Magic Johnson had technically retired, and hadn't even played in the NBA in a year, and he made the the team too.

One could make the case that Isiah Thomas was in that class as an all time 1980s great who deserved a spot. Furthermore, in 1992, Thomas is arguably closer to his prime than certainly Bird and probably Magic were. And you have to remember we are talking 1992 here, not 2012. In 1992, people think Stockton is good. But nobody is calling him an all time great. You saw in the documentary how unknown Stockton was to the fans. That scene easily could have taken place, in many U.S. cities too. And its not a race issue, because everyone certainly knew who Bird was.

Isiah didn't make the team because many of other players on the team didn't want him. Period.

[t-rex]

The Malone elbow was post Olympics. Isiah had destroyed Stockton in a game because he was upset at Stockton being on the Dream Team instead of him and that was Malone being a bitch about it.

Good point. I was only pointing out that there was bad blood between Malone and Thomas over the Olympic team selection process.

[t-rex]

People fail to point this out, but it wasn't exactly a given that Isiah was better then Stockton. For example, he had stopped making all-nba teams after 1987, while Stockton was a regular. Not saying thats the end all be all, but people are acting like Isiah was on the level of Magic, Bird, and Jordan when he really wasn't regardless of the fact that he had won titles.


True. But in the history of the game, how many people stand with Magic, Bird and Jordan? Lets see, Kobe, Duncan, Shaq, Russell, Jabbar, Wilt, Hakeem, maybe West and Robertson, and that's about it.

Isiah Thomas was one of the faces of the NBA throughout the 1980s. He was on a level right below the 1980s "Big 3". If he had a nicer disposition, he would have been on the team.

[pegasus]

It's that asshole in him which is what made him the GOAT. He wasn't going to take shit from anybody and, in fact, he was going to make sure you ate his shit. If you didn't like it, he doesn't care. But you better acknowledge he is better than you.

LeBron is a *****.

Agreed. Jordon talked the talked and then walked the walk.

Lebron talks the talk, but when it comes to walk the walk... he does this instead:

http://gifsoup.com/webroot/animatedgifs/158389_o.gif

[guy]

As great as MJ was, he's a billion times more of a douche bag than LeBron could ever be.

There's been stories about Lebron being a douchebag too. I remember there was something about how he treated some cafeteria workers like sh*t during the Olympics back in like 2004. There's also that youtube video where it looks like he's purposefully throwing his warm ups away from that ballboy when he could've just handed it to him. He doesn't seem like this very nice guy either.

[CelticBaller]

As great as MJ was, he's a billion times more of a douche bag than LeBron could ever be.
no, lebron is just a pvssy

[Knicksfever2010]

Im confused, I thought isiah/magic were good friends, especially the way they interacted at the all star game in orlando when magic won MVP. They were buddy-buddy and hugged/kissed each other. Maybe Magic was just putting on a good show?

[Crown&Coke]

Zeke was a dick, no doubt. He grew up in a tough enviornment and played like he never left. I loved the way he competed. Still, he was a dick, just like many our our all time greats. MJ, Kareem, Russell, Big O, Malone; all were known to be huge jerks. But the fact remains, the NBA was trying to grow internationally back in 1992. So having the most popular guys was the way to go. And Zeke simply wasn't liked outside of Detroit, even his hometown Chicago hated him (which ate away at him)

Had Lebron played in 1992, he isn't as despised as he is now, its just a sign of the times. JFK was a notorious adulterer and he is beloved, spoken of like he was a King who fed the peasants at his own table. Bill Clinton gets a BJ and he gets murdered for it. More infomation is out there, good and bad.

[Crown&Coke]

Im confused, I thought isiah/magic were good friends, especially the way they interacted at the all star game in orlando when magic won MVP. They were buddy-buddy and hugged/kissed each other. Maybe Magic was just putting on a good show?

Magic said after he got HIV, Isiah was going around asking if Magic was gay (which was the popular stigma around the virus). Magic felt betrayed, because he really did like him and couldnt figure why he wouldn't just ask him instead of going behind his back perpetuating the stigma, in NBA circles no less. Talk about a low blow...

[Knicksfever2010]

Magic said after he got HIV, Isiah was going around asking if Magic was gay (which was the popular stigma around the virus). Magic felt betrayed, because he really did like him and couldnt figure why he wouldn't just ask him instead of going behind his back perpetuating the stigma, in NBA circles no less. Talk about a low blow...

and I thought a 'low-blow' was a gay midget :)

[Crown&Coke]

and I thought a 'low-blow' was a gay midget :)

grow up dude

they don't like that term, they prefer little low blower

[Da_Realist]

the NBA was trying to grow internationally back in 1992. So having the most popular guys was the way to go. And Zeke simply wasn't liked outside of Detroit, even his hometown Chicago hated him (which ate away at him)

Good point.

[MontaHardaway]

but people are acting like Isiah was on the level of Magic, Bird, and Jordan when he really wasn't regardless of the fact that he had won titles.
he was that good. the media just doesn't give him credit like those other guys because they weren't a big market team like Lakers, Celtics, or Bulls

[BarberSchool]

It's that asshole in him which is what made him the GOAT. He wasn't going to take shit from anybody and, in fact, he was going to make sure you ate his shit. If you didn't like it, he doesn't care. But you better acknowledge he is better than you.Exactly. Well put.

[BarberSchool]

Thomas reaped what he sowed, and he knows it.Very very very true.

But he must also know that the reaping is not yet finished.

[tontoz]

Im confused, I thought isiah/magic were good friends, especially the way they interacted at the all star game in orlando when magic won MVP. They were buddy-buddy and hugged/kissed each other. Maybe Magic was just putting on a good show?


They were good friends. However when they played against each other in the finals Magic drilled Isiah with an intentionally hard foul just to let his teamates know that he would do anything to win and wouldn't let his friendship with Isiah get in the way. Isiah didn't appreciate that.

Then as been pointed out Isiah's reaction to Magic's AIDS announcement pissed off Magic.

[Floppy]

As great as MJ was, he's a billion times more of a douche bag than LeBron could ever be.

:biggums:

Nobody talked about MJ the way they talk about Lebron today.

Wait till Lebron retires. :lol

[tontoz]

he was that good. the media just doesn't give him credit like those other guys because they weren't a big market team like Lakers, Celtics, or Bulls


Isiah wasn't even 3rd team All-NBA during their title years. Meanwhile Stockton made the All-NBA teams every year from '88-'99.

[MontaHardaway]

Isiah wasn't even 3rd team All-NBA during their title years. Meanwhile Stockton made the All-NBA teams every year from '88-'99.
shut the fu*ck up you stat whoring idiot.

in my mind, Isiah Thomas led the Pistons to a 3-peat in the greatest era in basketball. everybody knows the Pistons got jobbed in game 7 of the 88 finals.

just think about that. a 3PEAT in the bird-magic-jordan era.

he's the real GOAT PG.

[Clippersfan86]

shut the fu*ck up you stat whoring idiot.

in my mind, Isiah Thomas led the Pistons to a 3-peat in the greatest era in basketball. everybody knows the Pistons got jobbed in game 7 of the 88 finals.

just think about that. a 3PEAT in the bird-magic-jordan era.

he's the real GOAT PG.

I know you're an obvious troll but Stockton>Thomas. If you disagree, suck a nut.

[tontoz]

shut the fu*ck up you stat whoring idiot.

in my mind, Isiah Thomas led the Pistons to a 3-peat in the greatest era in basketball. everybody knows the Pistons got jobbed in game 7 of the 88 finals.

just think about that. a 3PEAT in the bird-magic-jordan era.

he's the real GOAT PG.


:lol


Let the butthurt flooowww through you.


Unfortunately your mind bears little resemblence to reality. At the time many questioned whether Isiah was even the best guard on the Pistons during their title years.

[NumberSix]

There's been stories about Lebron being a douchebag too. I remember there was something about how he treated some cafeteria workers like sh*t during the Olympics back in like 2004. There's also that youtube video where it looks like he's purposefully throwing his warm ups away from that ballboy when he could've just handed it to him. He doesn't seem like this very nice guy either.
I've never heard stories about LeBron punching team mates in the face or publicly embarrassing people on the team bus.

[Kovach]

Isiah wasn't even 3rd team All-NBA during their title years. Meanwhile Stockton made the All-NBA teams every year from '88-'99.
1. Stockton didn't cockblock himself from being voted into any of the popularity contests by making stupid, racist comments about Larry Bird.
2. Stockton wasn't the leader of the team that was pretty much a thorn in the eye of the entire basketball community.

That he wasn't picked into all-NBA teams had zero to do with his qualities as a player, everyone who watched the Pistons play without bias knows that.

At the time many questioned whether Isiah was even the best guard on the Pistons during their title years.
Nope, if there are a few blind people who do actually question that, it's an entirely new thing. At the time there was no doubt who the best player on that team was. I have never heard someone say "Dumars' team", or Laimbeer, Rodman, Aguirre, Dantley or whatever for that matter, did you?

[JustinJDW]

I personally think Isiah gets way too much shit, and he should of been on the Dream Team. I think its a bit childish how they stonewalled him out. Everyone knows MJ was a huge dick back in the day, but it seems like Isiah is the one that gets the heat as the decades go past. Not cool.

Bad Boys should have three Championships too. Got ****ed over in 88.

[tontoz]

1. Stockton didn't cockblock himself from being voted into any of the popularity contests by making stupid, racist comments about Larry Bird.
2. Stockton wasn't the leader of the team that was pretty much a thorn in the eye of the entire basketball community.

That he wasn't picked into all-NBA teams had zero to do with his qualities as a player, everyone who watched the Pistons play without bias knows that.

Nope, if there are a few blind people who do actually question that, it's an entirely new thing. At the time there was no doubt who the best player on that team was. I have never heard someone say "Dumars' team", or Laimbeer, Rodman, Aguirre, Dantley or whatever for that matter, did you?



Wrong. Dumars was 1st team All-NBA defense during their title years. He was the one who had to guard GOAT Jordan while Isiah had to guard Paxon. Tough assignment there.

Dumars was the guy making the All-NBA teams at that time, not Isiah. And i wasn't doing the voting.

[guy]

I've never heard stories about LeBron punching team mates in the face or publicly embarrassing people on the team bus.

You're acting like fights don't breakout in basketball. Its grown men playing a physical, competitive game every single day, and in the case you're referring to, its with the same people he sees every single day. You think Jordan is the first person to hit someone in practice? Probably not. I wouldn't call that being a douchebag.

How is a team bus "public"?

[Nevaeh]

I personally think Isiah gets way too much shit, and he should of been on the Dream Team. I think its a bit childish how they stonewalled him out. Everyone knows MJ was a huge dick back in the day, but it seems like Isiah is the one that gets the heat as the decades go past. Not cool.

Bad Boys should have three Championships too. Got ****ed over in 88.

I threw both Zeke and Dominique Wilkins on my NBA2k12 Dream Team "on the strength". But like it was mentioned in that "Dream Team Special", what did Thomas in was the stigma of his "Badboy" team (cheapshot artists, purposefully trying to cause serious injuries, etc.), getting into fistfights, and encouraging players like Rodman to do dirty sh!t on purpose.

The final straw that did him in was walking out on the Bulls like he did, when the Bulls had no problem shaking hands just a year prior.

[guy]

Do Jordan and Isiah still beef? It doesn't seem like they do. In 2003, it was Isiah that actually coached Jordan's final all-star game and he made it a point that Jordan was showcased the most. Maybe I'm mistaken, but I believe he also pushed for Vince Carter to give up his starting spot for Jordan. He was also at his HOF ceremony despite there being no one else inducted that he was close with.

[Nevaeh]

Do Jordan and Isiah still beef? It doesn't seem like they do. In 2003, it was Isiah that actually coached Jordan's final all-star game and he made it a point that Jordan was showcased the most. Maybe I'm mistaken, but I believe he also pushed for Vince Carter to give up his starting spot for Jordan. He was also at his HOF ceremony despite there being no one else inducted that he was close with.

He also bigged up MJ a lot when he was doing announcing with Bob Costas during the 98 season (did a better job as an analyst than Magic IMO). I honestly believe that Zeke knows he screwed his chances to make that team himself, which is why he has no problem acknowledging the team on positive terms.

[julizaver]

Isiah was not included because:

- ECF incident (quiting before the final horn) with Bulls - "lack of sportmanship". The Dream selection was made shortly after.
- The relationships with some of the other stars.
- He was already in decline.

Had the Olympics be in 1990 - his absence will be more questionable for me at least.
Someones can argue that he deserve to be in the place of Stockton - but this is not the case, the Jazz guard is a true legend and at his peak at the time averaging 17 points, 14 assists and 3 steals per game.
Someones can argue why then Bird and Magic were on the team ? Ok, but a 35 years old Bird with back problems in his LAST season had a "prime" Grant Hill numbers of 20,2 ppg, 9,6 rpg and 6,8 apg !!! Magic was not at the end of his career and was still the best pg at the time, since he was 32 years old when HIV anounced.

[Shepseskaf]

Isiah has a terrible reputation, in general. Some of it is deserved.

However, on an individual basis he is known to be an extremely charismatic individual. During his playing days, though he was sometimes dirty, his big smile was also a trademark.

So, I'm not surprised that he responded this way to the re-hashing of the 92 Olympics snub.

Drew Sharp, columnist for the Detroit Free Press, actually wrote a piece saying that Isiah should be given a gold medal for that Olympics, because he should have been on the team. Talk about a bad idea....

[Da_Realist]

You're acting like fights don't breakout in basketball. Its grown men playing a physical, competitive game every single day, and in the case you're referring to, its with the same people he sees every single day. You think Jordan is the first person to hit someone in practice? Probably not. I wouldn't call that being a douchebag.

Most overblown "criticism" ever.

[guy]

Most overblown "criticism" ever.

It's no wonder people call the league soft now. People act like sports should be treated like an office setting.

[Da KO King]

As great as MJ was, he's a billion times more of a douche bag than LeBron could ever be.
I know people that have met both. LeBron is not a bad guy. MJ is a tool that people hate to see walking their way.

[jlip]

Pippen and Drexler Discuss Why Isiah Thomas Was Left Off the Dream Team SIRIUS XM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7akp4AIPxo)

OAN: Classy comments by Isiah from the OP.