I clicked on a video of the USA's first game of the Barcelona games, which was the first Olympic game with NBA players, and this frame, no longer than about 3 seconds, flashed across the screen and something caught my eye.
Circled in red is a Detroit Pistons no. 11 jersey. This is significant because that is Isiah Thomas' jersey.
Thomas was infamously left off the Dream Team in '92 after Michael Jordan had threatened to withdraw if Thomas was selected. This was in the midst of a feud be tween Jordan and Thomas that allegedly started when Thomas led a freeze out of Jordan in his first All-star game, and had culminated in Thomas leading his Pistons teammates off the floor without shaking hands with Chicago Bulls players after they had just lost to them in the playoffs for the first time.
The USA team was also coached by Chuck Daly, who was Thomas' coach at the Detroit Pistons.
I just found it really interesting that a fan of the USA team found it important to make that point on that stage in that moment by hanging his jersey there.
Posted by ZimManc
3 comments
That is your opinion on what happened but in reality Thomas played like an ass on a team full of ass’s. and nobody on the team wanted to play with him because of that. That is my opinion as well but also an opinion based of interviews with the team.
thats a neat catch, OP. dont necessarily agree with your take on why IT was off the team, but cool little easter egg.
Isiah Thomass hole.
Dude was jerk and no one liked him.