Isiah Thomas upset with Magic Johnson.

[Abraham Lincoln]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...gic/index.html

Magic Johnson in a soon-to-be-released book, Isiah Thomas said he'd had enough. And so he began to fight back.

"I'm really hurt, and I really feel taken advantage of for all these years,'' said Thomas, the Hall of Fame point guard and former NBA coach and executive, most recently with the Knicks. "I'm totally blindsided by this. Every time that I've seen Magic, he has been friendly with me. Whenever he came to a Knick game, he was standing in the tunnel [to the locker room] with me. He and [Knicks assistant coach] Herb[Williams] and I, we would go out to dinner in New York. I didn't know he felt this way.'

Much of their story involves Thomas, who as captain of the Detroit Pistons served as a primary threat to the championship ambitions of Bird's Celtics and Magic's Lakers. The book offers revelations that have stunned Thomas. Magic addresses years of rumors by finally accusing Thomas of questioning his sexuality after Johnson was diagnosed with HIV in 1991. Magic also admits that he joined with Michael Jordan and other players in blackballing Thomas from the 1992 Olympic Dream Team, saying, "Isiah killed his own chances when it came to the Olympics. Nobody on that team wanted to play with him. ... Michael didn't want to play with him. Scottie[Pippen] wanted no part of him. Bird wasn't pushing for him. Karl Malone didn't want him. Who was saying, 'We need this guy?' Nobody.''

"I'm glad that he's finally had the nerve and the courage to stand up and say it was him, as opposed to letting Michael Jordan take the blame for it all these years,'' Thomas responded during one of several interviews he gave to SI.com on Wednesday. "I wish he would have had the courage to say this stuff to me face to face, as opposed to writing it in some damn book to sell and he can make money off it.''

Magic's most shocking accusation, however, is that Thomas was responsible for spreading rumors that Johnson was gay or bisexual after Johnson tested positive for HIV, forcing his retirement at age 32. "Isiah kept questioning people about it,'' Magic says. "I couldn't believe that. The one guy I thought I could count on had all these doubts. It was like he kicked me in the stomach.''

Thomas vehemently denied that he had gossiped behind Magic's back, pointing out that he knew better than to engage in such hurtful talk.

"What most people don't know is, before Magic had HIV, my brother had HIV,'' Thomas said. "My brother died of HIV, AIDS, drug abuse. So I knew way more about the disease, because I was living with it in my house.''

His brother, Gregory Thomas, died five years ago, Isiah said.

"Magic acted and responded off some really bad information that he got,'' Thomas went on. "Whatever friendship we had, I thought it was bulls--- that he believed that. Let me put it to you this way: If he and I were such close friends, if I was questioning his sexuality, then I was questioning mine too. That's how idiotic it is.''

Magic declined to be interviewed for this story. Rosen, speaking on behalf of his client, said he and Magic stand by everything attributed to them in the book.Thomas insisted he felt too much sympathy for Magic to be spreading rumors about him.

Thomas said he helped make it possible for Magic to return in 1992 to the All-Star Game.

"They weren't going to let Magic play in the All-Star Game; all the players were coming out [against him],'' Thomas said. "You know how that all got turned around? I had a meeting with all of the players -- because I was president of the players' association -- and I told them not only was he going to play, but we were going to shake his hand and give him a hug. And I was the first to shake his hand and hug him and give him a kiss, to let people know that's not how the virus is spread."

And you can go back and check at the players' association. Call Charlie Grantham[the former union executive director and COO] and ask him how Magic got to play in the All-Star Game. Ask him who called the meeting.''

[Harison]

I'm not Isiah's fan as a person, but if he really was the key to:

Thomas said he helped make it possible for Magic to return in 1992 to the All-Star Game.

"They weren't going to let Magic play in the All-Star Game; all the players were coming out [against him],'' Thomas said. "You know how that all got turned around? I had a meeting with all of the players -- because I was president of the players' association -- and I told them not only was he going to play, but we were going to shake his hand and give him a hug. And I was the first to shake his hand and hug him and give him a kiss, to let people know that's not how the virus is spread."

Isiah gets my respect, at least for this.

[catch24]

The hell? Man, I feel kinda bad for Isiah...I believe him too..

lol @ Magic being a two faced friend smh

[EricForman]

if what he says in the book isnt true then obviously he's a bastard for that.

And if he what he says is true... then WHY THE HELL WAS HE SO BUDDY BUDDY with Zeke all these years (they'd kiss each other on the cheeks on national TV)???????????

either way, I come off disliking Magic alot more from this entry.

I guess Magics one of them guys who will always smile to you even if deep down he doesn't like you or hate you. I can't stand people like that.

[Shepseskaf]

Wow! This sounds nasty. Why air all of this stuff in a book, so many years afterwards?

I'm not sure how much media attention the book will get, but it might have the amazing effect of making Isiah a sympathetic figure.

[wang4three]

Isiah's everyone's punching bag one way or another.

[EricForman]

the more i think about it, the more disturbing it is to know MAgic can put on a smile and be buddy buddy with you for 15 years and then suddenly write a book saying all these things.

He's Harvey Dent.

[catch24]

the more i think about it, the more disturbing it is to know MAgic can put on a smile and be buddy buddy with you for 15 years and then suddenly write a book saying all these things.

He's Harvey Dent.

This

[iamgine]

Magic think Isaiah think he's gay and was spreading rumors. At that time, it might be reasonable that he'd be angry and when olympic players ask him to join the no-isiah movement, he gladly agree. But then he got over it and be friends again with Isiah. .

Sounds to me like a standard high school drama. All this written the way it did in the book because the publisher want to make money

[Dasher]

The gay rumors began to spread around Magic as soon as he made it public that he had HIV. At that time the disease was thought to be a gay man's disease. To place the blame for rumors of that sort at the feet of Zeke, and to be angry about them is disingenous. Especially considering how close these two were, and that there were mutterings about the sexuality of Zeke because of his closeness to Magic.

[GOBB]

Shots fired is an understatement. This could get ugly. Cot damn, I might even read this book to see what else Magic drops. Reading that article has me interested. How awkward will the setting be for Magic and Isiah to cross paths/bump heads again? It'll happen. What is said? What is done? And the wrong MJ was accused for blackballin Isiah. Never knew Magic was behind it.

[Kevin_Garnett_5]

if what he says in the book isnt true then obviously he's a bastard for that.

And if he what he says is true... then WHY THE HELL WAS HE SO BUDDY BUDDY with Zeke all these years (they'd kiss each other on the cheeks on national TV)???????????

either way, I come off disliking Magic alot more from this entry.

I guess Magics one of them guys who will always smile to you even if deep down he doesn't like you or hate you. I can't stand people like that.

Agreed.

[Da_Realist]

WHOA!

I have to get this book.

Now...are Magic and Larry going to be honest about each other? Is Magic going to talk about his power struggle with some of the Lakers in the early 80's? Is Bird going to open up about his tense relationship with McHale in the late 80's?

[glidedrxlr22]

Maybe Magic is a douche. Say it ain't so. I have alot of respect for him. Maybe not so much now if this is true.

[1987_Lakers]

I'm actually not surprised. Back in the 80's these guys were so close, they were as close as friends could be. But these days I don't think I ever saw Magic & Isiah together. I knew something happened that strained their relationship.