Inciting controversy, retired NBA player Scottie Pippen – a former teammate of Michael Jordan – discussed how the exclusion of Isiah Thomas affected the makeup and history of the “Dream Team.”
In his book Unguarded, Chicago Bulls great Scottie Pippen disclosed that if Isiah Thomas had been chosen, neither he nor Michael Jordan would have been on the “Dream Team.”
For many years, fans have been aware of the animosity that exists between Pippen, Jordan, and Thomas—the head of the “Bad Boys” of the Detroit Pistons. According to Pippen’s book, if Thomas had been on the Olympic squad, the players’ chemistry would have been awful.
Pippen writes, “Over the years, a lot has been written about why Isiah didn’t make the team.” “It is undeniably true that Michael and I, along with a number of other guys, would not have participated if he had been chosen.”
“Looking at his numbers, it would be difficult to argue that Isiah wasn’t deserving,” Pippen added. “But putting a basketball team together is about more than numbers. It’s about chemistry, and with Isiah… the chemistry would have been horrible.”
The attempt at reconciliation between Pippen and Thomas
Scottie Pippen also revealed that Thomas tried to contact him in 2020 to attempt to reconcile. However, Pippen rejected the idea, recalling their troubled relationship in the past.
“In the spring of 2020, while the doc was airing, Isiah was interested in the two of us declaring a truce,” Pippen wrote. “He reached out to B.J. Armstrong, who called me: ‘Would you be willing to talk to him?’ B.J. asked. Dude, are you kidding me? When I came into the league, he was never nice to me. Why would I want to meet with him now? Isiah is no fool. He knows better than anyone how poorly he came across in The Last Dance, and with good reason. I wasn’t about to make it easier for him.”
The Bulls-Pistons rivalry
The rivalry between the Bulls and Pistons was intense during the 1990s. The Pistons, led by Isiah Thomas, eliminated the Bulls in the Conference Finals in 1988, 1989, and 1990. However, the Bulls got their revenge by sweeping the Pistons in 1991.
During the 1991 series, before Game 4, Thomas and the Pistons left the court without shaking hands with the Bulls, a gesture widely regarded as unsportsmanlike.
The legacy of the “Dream Team”
The “Dream Team” won the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, defeating Croatia in the final. All players on the team, except Christian Laettner, are members of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Jordan and Pippen went on to win six championships together with the Bulls, while Thomas won two with the Pistons. The rivalry between these players remains a hot topic in basketball discussions.
Scottie Pippen’s revelation about the possibility that he and Michael Jordan would have skipped the “Dream Team” if Isiah Thomas had been selected has stirred controversy. The rivalry between these players has been fierce over the years and continues to spark debate in the basketball world.