A newly surfaced audio recording shows former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan has been lying that he had no involvement in blocking former Detroit Pistons star Isiah Thomas from playing with the legendary Dream Team.
Here’s a look at what’s been revealed about former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan and the role he played in barring Detroit Pistons star Isiah Thomas from competing with the legendary Dream Team.
The leaked audio recording comes on the heels of the release of ESPN and Netflix’s documentary series dubbed The Last Dance.
During the documentary series, viewers may recall that Jordan said he played no part in blocking Thomas from being on the legendary Dream Team.
"“Before the ’92 Olympics, Rod Thorn calls me and says, ‘We would love for you to be on the Dream Team,'” Jordan said in the documentary series. “I say, ‘Who’s all playing?’ He says, ‘What does that mean?’ I say, ‘Who’s all playing?’ He says, ‘Well, the guy you’re talking about or you’re thinking about, he’s not going to be playing.'”"
Jordan continued his remarks, heaping praise unto Thomas for what he brings to the game.
"“I respect Isiah Thomas’ talent,” he said in the documentary series. “To me, the best point guard of all time is Magic Johnson and right behind him is Isiah Thomas. No matter how much I hate him, I respect his game. Now, it was insinuated that I was asking about him, but I never threw his name in there.”"
As the newly surfaced tapes show, Jordan was lying about the role he played in barring Thomas from competing with the Dream Team.
As reported by TMZ, the audio and its transcription comes from an old interview in which Jordan tells the 1992 Olympics selection committee member Rod Thorn he’s out if Thomas is also on the team.
Check it out:
"“Rod Thorn called me, and I said, ‘Rod, I won’t play if Isiah Thomas is on the team,'” Jordan is heard telling reporter Jack McCallum in a 2011 interview, which was aired on his podcast “The Dream Team Tapes. “[Thorn] assured me,” Jordan said in the old interview. “He said, ‘You know what? Chuck doesn’t want Isiah. So, Isiah is not going to be part of the team.'”"
Thorn, along with NBA executives Jack McCloskey and Russ Granik, was part of the selection committee formed by USA Basketball that was headed by the late C.M. Newton, the then-University of Kentucky athletic director who also served as an assistant under Dream Team coach Chuck Daly. Mike Krzyzewski and P.J. Carlesimo also served on the committee and were Daly’s assistants on the team.
It remains unclear if Thomas regrets taking part in the documentary series after learning of this new development. In the documentary series, Thomas had this to say of not making the Dream Team.
"“I don’t know what went into that process,” Thomas said in documentary series. “I met the criteria to be selected, but I wasn’t.”"
The Dream Team, which was the first American Olympic team to feature active NBA players, consisted of Jordan, Magic Johnson, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing and more.
The hope is that Thomas takes the high road if and when he decides to listen to the newly surfaced audio recording.