Michael Jordan was caught in a fib after denying that he had anything to do with Isiah Thomas’ absence from the Dream Team.
ESPN’s The Last Dance has put a spotlight back onto ‘s legendary run with the Chicago Bulls. Fans have received a deeper insight into the Bull but more specifically, a behind the scenes look at the life of the greatest basketball player to ever do it during his reign. But more than anything, it attempted to clarify rumors and provide answers surround the urban legends surrounding Jordan.
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Jordan and Isiah Thomas’ tense relationship, especially in regards to the 1992 Dream Team, was highlighted in the doc. Jordan denied the rumor that he had anything to do with Thomas’ absence from the 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. “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.'”
Leaked audio, however, suggests otherwise. Old audio surfaced this week on Jack McCallum’s The Dream Team Tapes Podcast where Jordan directly mentions Isiah’s name in a conversation with Rod Thorn. “[Selection committee member] Rod Thorn called me. I said, ‘Rod, I won’t play if Isiah Thomas is on the team,’” Jordan’s heard saying. “He assured me. He said, ‘You know what? Chuck (Daly) doesn’t want Isiah. So, Isiah is not going to be part of the team.’”
