After "The Last Dance" put the spotlight back on Isiah Thomas' omission from the "Dream Team," both Michael Jordan and ex-Chicago Bulls general manager Rod Thorn, who was a member of the Team USA selection committee, denied that His Airness influenced Thomas' exclusion.
But an old audio recording revealed by Sports Illustrated's Jack McCallum on a recent episode of his podcast, "The Dream Team Tapes," paints a different picture.
"Rod Thorn called me, and I said, 'Rod, I won't play if Isiah Thomas is on the team,'" Jordan told McCallum in a 2011 interview. "(Thorn) assured me. He said, 'You know what? Chuck (Daly) doesn't want Isiah. So, Isiah is not going to be part of the team.'"
Thomas' cause wasn't helped by his relationships with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, who both engaged in some heated playoff battles over the years against the "Bad Boy" Detroit Pistons.
"Dream Team" alum David Robinson recently said Thomas' snub shouldn't have been surprising, citing the importance of team chemistry in the construction of the 1992 U.S. Olympic men's basketball team.
Thomas' absence ultimately didn't impact the infamous squad, as it steamrolled its way to the gold medal.
However, the Pistons icon and Hall of Famer said he was hurt by the decision to be left off the Olympic roster.
