People always talk about Isaiah being off the dream team, but never mention Domique Wilkins not being on the team.

MJ has been telling people since day one what happened. Every time he says: “it was a higher up decision” and no one looks higher up. Look up Isiah’s off the court activism and look at what he did with players union and getting better pay for the mid to low tier players in the mid-80s to early 90s. It came down from the commissioner based on the image he wanted to project around the world. Isiah didn’t fit that image.

This is EXACTLY what happens when you alienate folks. How you interact with folks matters. You can make Friends and Enemies.

Isiah did not make the dream team because the controversy he generates over the years prior to 1991 when the team members were selected, he was a fierce competitor and an incredible point guard, but his mouth and his actions did cause damage to others and himself, it's sad seeing a great player get booed by other great players, he deserve it, but the things he said and done it makes the difference... The only thing I really can thank to Isiah and the Pistons is that without them, we never have the player that Jordan was in the 90's. The Pistons were the blacksmith, and Jordan was the steel who ruled those years, and literally slaying every team he face.

Dominique Wilkins should have been on the dream team. Why was he left off. One of the most underrated/disrespected players from that era.

You notice none of “the bad boys” wanted anything to do with Carl Malone. He busted Isiah melon open . Malone would do the same to Lebron.

It's funny, the pistons walked off the floor, but no one mentioned when how the Boston celtics walked off the floor . Why is that never brought up

It was all about politics, not about talent. Thomas was a great player, but unpopular. The bottom line is nobody stuck out their neck for him which proves how unpopular Thomas was. It followed him nearly everywhere he went, even as a coach. Few people like(d) Thomas and he knew it.

There were several guys who did not want Isiah on the dream team, not only MJ. He feuded with Jordan, Pippen, Magic himself(they were no longer friends at that point), Malone, Bird. A sad story indeed.

I thought there were too many people who didn't want to play with Isiah. Magic, Jordan, Malone, Pippen. Barkley didn't like him but wasn't going to complain. Drexler didn't really care. So you got four against and not one advocate. So that settles it. He's off. But I never thought Scottie Pippen belonged on that team unless there actually was something wrong with Dominique Wilkins.

The Olympics are supposed to be about sportsmanship, When did Isiah ever show any of that?

For me as a Pistons fan, I would like to point out that as much as it pains me that he was left of the Dream Team, it is equally tragic that he missed his first chance in 1980 because of the Americans boycott of the Olympics that year.

It was right to leave him off for two reasons. 1. He wouldn’t have gel’d with the team. Mike didn’t like him, Magic was pissed at him for good reasons, Bird didn’t like him, and yeah, Scottie hates him. If you know virtually your ENTIRE starting squad don’t like the guy, you don’t play him, period. No matter how great he might be, teams HAVE to gel to work. Look at all the “super teams” that have gotten together to chase rings, and on paper they were obvious chip teams, but they imploded because they didn’t get along. 2. He wasn’t the best choice for the spot left. Magic was already in, and was a much better superstar Point Guard. His backup needed to be a more pure Point Guard, and Stockton was the best PURE Point Guard in the league. His playmaking abd assist skills were second to none. Even if Stockton’s injury hadn’t healed, Isiah wasn’t even selected as HIS replacement, his teammate Joe Dumars was, because THAT is what they needed in that spot, not another scoring focused superstar. I mean, Chuck Daly coaches the dream team. He was Isiah’s coach. If Isiah was REALLY that desperately needed on the team, Chuck would have pushed for him, but he didn’t, because he knew he didn’t need Isiah.

When it comes to Isiah Thomas getting laid out, or being left off the Dream Team, its called "karma". What comes around goes around. He's the Ty Cobb of basketball...... great player, but everybody thought he was an ass and hated him.

Did you see the ref smooth slide Scottie off court and keep it movin. No call, no foul, no whistle, no tech, no sweat!!! All ball. And I just seen Scottie on T.V. the other day and he's fine.

I think the tension between Bird and Isaiah was likely the cool reception Zeke gave to Magic after the AIDS diagnosis. I also think the Pistons had some cheap racial digs on the Celtics Larry would have no part of.

Crazy how the Pistons reacted to Karl Malone knocking IT to the ground. It was exactly what those Pistons teams have been doing to the league for many years lmao.

Unfortunately, Isiah got all these players to dislike him. The wanted no part in playing with him at that point in time.

When the Bad Boys walked off the court without shaking or acknowledging the Bulls Isiah simultaneously walked off the Dream Team roster.

Good video and good points. For me, I'd take Stockton 10 times out of 10 over Thomas. I don't dispute Thomas' skills, but he wasn't the best PG around. There were many I'd take in front of him. When they announced that Magic and Stockton were their guards, I cheered! Two best PGs in the history of the game... on the same team! That dream team was heaven for me. Bird, Magic, and Jordan (best players in the history of the game), along with all the others, Minus Laettner, ... Man, I was in basketball HEAVEN!!!!!

I said it way back when, when he wasn't selected, that he burned every bridge with every one of those Dream Teamers! NOBODY VOUCHED FOR HIM, maybe except Chuck Daily.

Isaiah laughing and saying Scottie can't say nothing when Scottie was better than HIM. Isaiah is delusional 😂😂. Plus walking out before a game is done because you're losing is some of the worst sportsmanship possible in sports!! That's not the type of character you want representing your country on the world stage.

The difference between Thomas persona in interviews (smooth, all smiles) and how his peers evaluated him (dirty, selfish, bigoted) is quite chilling.

Isiah Thomas is very two tone individual. He comes across nice but in the shadows he is very disingenuous person. That’s why he resonate with lebron so much.

If I wanted to showcase the new NBA, I would pick Stockton mostly because he has a natural propensity to pass the ball. Getting along and team chemistry is so important.

The John Stockton argument doesn't really work just because he had a better season that year, because Larry and Magic were there off of merit and contribution from past decade. Isiaih should've been there too, especially having the last two championships of the era. But it's not like it had to be Stockton that he should've replaced. Stockton belonged, but no he's not a better player. But if no one wanted him on the team that 's the better argument.

Lol What the ref did to pippen 2:57 🤔🤣👌🏾👈🏾

Try to read the book "The Golden Boys" and youll find out on how the players were selected

If It wasn't for Isaiah Thomas Chuck Daly would not have been selected to coach the Dream Team

Although you make a valid point. It wasn't about one season for any of those guys. It was about their body of work.

Made his own grave! Detroit was the most hated team in the day.

People were afraid to play with Magic because of HIV, but they would rather play with him over Isaiah. Says a lot.

NBC didn’t want Isiah, Jordan said it came from higher ups. They had the nba in 1991 their 1st season new contract when Isiah walked off past Bulls bench and they also had the 1992 Olympics!

THe "frozen game" was bullshit. Isiah had no power over that team.The east had guys like Bird, DJ, Moses, Dominique.It was not the Bad Boys Pistons, it was an all star team, where Isiah had near do zero influence (compared to other guys). Jordan shot 9 times in that game (missed 7).Pretty normal for an all-star game.He attemped more shot than half of his team.He HAD the ball. Read this : history.bulls.com/1985-all-star-game-jordan-freezeout/

I don't think it matters if Stockton had a better 90/91 season than Isiah Thomas had. It wasn't based on that season. It was based on their entire careers up to that point. Thomas was the best player on a two-time champ that dethroned the Celtics and Lakers dynasties. They also dominated the Bulls during that time. Stockton was a great player, but he wasn't even the best player on a team that never won a championship. Zeke shoud have been on the Dream Team.

I gotta admit Sean, you changed my mind. I agree with you he should've been left off. It would've hurt team morale to have a guy on the team hated by Magic, Bird, Pippen, Jordan, Stocktonn, and Malone. I'm sure Clyde Drexler & Charles Barkley weren't crazy about him either, or Patrick Ewing. Especially, when Stockton could do a lot of the stuff that he could

They didn’t “need” him. They didn’t “want” him. But you can’t say “greatest team ever assembled” without him, and with Laettner

Player Efficiency Rating in the 1991-92 season: John Stockton = 22.8, Isiah Thomas = 16.0 They chose the right PG for the Dream Team, especially if the All-NBA Team selections for those couple of years are taken into account.

Terrible justification. If that's the case why was Bird on the team when didn't even play a lot due to his back?

I am a diehard Larry Bird fan and have no love whatsoever for Isiah and the Pistons. However, Would anyone draft Drexler over IT, Mullin over IT. The freeze out is Propaganda. MJ shot 2-9 and went to the free throw line twice that's 11 shots in 20 minutes and MJ was a rookie in 1985 and he is complaining about the number of shots he gets? The starting frontline were Dr. J, Bird, Moses Malone, the last 3 MVP winners each with a ring and MJ is complaining about the number of shots he had? The freeze out totally contradicts the points made in the video, if no one liked Isiah why would they listen to him about freezing out MJ? If Isiah was so unpopular wouldn't his All-Star teammates do the opposite. Lastly the Stockton vs Isiah comparison was grossly inaccurate. The selection was based on their careers not what they did in 1992. Magic wasn't even playing in 1992. Bird was almost a cripple. Bottom line Isiah has 2 rings and Stockton hadn't even been to the finals circa 1992. Mchale and Worthy were better players than Mullin.

Here's truth the pistons were a dirty team!! They marketed themselves as the Bad Boys! But they were a very dirty team. It wasn't just hard fouls, ex: Pat Ewing Knicks were an group of tough guys with hard fouls. The Pistons were cheap shots, they did extra sht after the whistle, it was intentional, on replays it was obviously intentional, they bridged players in mid air. They were taking headshots, shoving players in defenseless positions and doing sht that could really injure players. The entire league hated them and wanted rule changes but the Bulls got it the worst and when the Bulls finally beat them after everything they did to the Bulls they acted like little btches and to this day they refuse to give them the respect the Bulls deserve.

When you tick off the NBA by walking off the court early like they against Chicago, the NBA is not going to go give you it’s treasure. When they the three biggest stars (Jordan, Bird, Magic) in the league don’t want you, you’re not going to make it.

Very good points, especially the ones about team chemistry. Let's be realistic, maybe he was a better player than Stockton (though that is highly debatable), but he was NOT what that Dream Team needed.

Timing is everything. Isiah would definitely be on the team if it were selected in 1990 rather than 1991. This is like James Worthy would have been on the dream team instead of Scottie Pippen had the Lakers instead of the Bulls won the 1991 championship. The thing is there are just way too many great players and there is not enough room for everybody.

IT made his choices and embraced the “bad boys” culture, a choice that got him a cpl titles, and got him hated by most stars. He enjoyed the titles and everything that came with them. He should accept the other byproducts as well. What if he was selected to the dream team and froze mike again in the olympics ?? He acted like a child on many occasions and was finally treated like one there. I say it was a fair call

4:42 Funny how when isiah gets fouled hard the way detroit players foul their opponents, his teammates are calling for a technical foul. Glad he was out of the original dream team. I’m surprised they hire him as nba analysts.

Michael Jordan will not play in the (Dream) Team USA if Isiah Thomas is in the team. So the Olympic Committee have to choose: Michael Jordan or Isiah Thomas? Without second thought they will chose Michael Jordan.

You crazy Isiah and Shaq were suppose to be on the team. They would be at another level of dream team then.

I think the second devastating weapon was the Mailman elbow. The First is the B'Bowen foot. Nasty? It is. Refs let it go, NBA never suspenden any of them.

It was the right thing to do. Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson didn't want him on the team. Also, nobody in the NBA liked Isiah Thomas, unless you played for the Detroit Pistons. The Dream Team would've been Isiah Thomas and no one else, or what we got with the Dream Team. It was the right thing to do.

Isiah always talks about that Karl Malone collision and the '40 stitches'. He never talks about all of the hard hits that John Stockton received the prior time they played and how the Pistons bigs knocked Stockton to the ground over and over and OVER AGAIN without fouls being called. Malone was sending the same message - don't drive the basket on us - and Thomas couldn't handle having someone give him a hard foul. Crybaby. And it's low to say that Malone was the weak link on the Utah Jazz team of that era - when is a HOF player a weak link? Sour grapes.

He would create a lack of joy and harmony.

We have an expression for that in French : he harvested what he seeded. With his behaviour with the Pistons, he made the whole league hating him, so there is no real question about why he was not selected.

Sean you left Larry Bird reason and that’s like the most important one, because everybody knew Magic, Jordan, Pippen and Malone reason. I haven’t heard Larry’s reasons

That an average team can win from a team of superstars is not only in basketbal.

Damn you do such an amazing job with your videos.

Those stats don’t bring up the only real one that count at the time, 2 RINGS!!! 3 conference championships in a row!!!

By the end of the basic selection in 91, isiah was the best small NBA guard in widely understood basketball standards. Till 1991 Isiah was 5 times all nba in which three times in the first team (unlike Stockton ), the best player of the NBA finals, two-time mvp all stars game. A real leader and champion who on the way to the top swept all the top players in the NBA including Jordan, Magic and Bird. He had a strong character and was uncompromising in the way he played and his approach. Stockton did not deserve yet a place in 1991/1992, but he was already solid white player , great ball facilitator and no doubt he fit into nba authorities polictics better aiming at making other valuable stars shine in Olimpics and avoid controversy in which Thomas was goot at.

Isiah has all the signs of a sociopath.

Say what you want about Malone, but at 4:42 the Mailman delivered right on time !!! Detroit was a dirty team ! Karl Malone made that dude pay the price !! That was a good clean hit !!!!!

Let's be honest bird and magic were past it.

Isaiah and the pistons did whatever it took to win their championships and get past the Lakers, Celtics, and Bulls even if it cost him the Dream Team.

You shouldve used the 1990-91 season stats as the team was selected prior to the 91/92 season and Stocktons numbers were better too but Isiah was known as the #2 point guard for 10 years behind Magic, All Star MVP, NBA Finals MVP, for sure deserved to be on the team but when the rest of the team minus Laettner and Mullin hated Zeke its understandable why he was left off

Could you lower the explosion in the intro for headphone users?

This video was more of a SCOTTY PIPPEN against ISAIAH THOMAS then dream team

_Nope! The selection was about the best players evaluated on their career of which circa 1992 Isaiah was better. Finals MVP, 1st team all NBA 3+ Times, 2X NBA champion, All Star MVP led the league in assist at that point more times than Stockton, big shot clutch maker, ncaa champion in 81 Stockton didn't even make a Final 4. Isaiah also missed quite a few games due to recovering from a wrist surgery so his assist and games were down. Also Bird whom had a injured back had a season that didn't equal the numbers of all star James Worthy nor Dominique Wilkins whom deserved the spot more than him. Magic missed an entire season and didn't even play but they evaluated the whole career of said players selected not just a season._ _Here is something to smoke on Kevin Johnson had a all star season averaged more points, more steals, similar FT%, near equal assist with near equal parity of talent on his team in the west as Stockton. If it's buy the numbers I'm taking Johnson over Stockton as a assisting point guard with more speed, freakish athleticism, and a better record…Remember the Sun's had the second best record in the West that season behind the Portland Blazers._ _When Barkley went to the Sun's they were the second best team in the west the year before with his addition he took them over the top to the NBA finals._

Where do you get that music from?

Man,you're so precise, using ratings and interviews. Nice channel.

You gotta edit the title. Why is was?

Really, John Stockton had him statically dominated in every way, except shot attempts. Which USA, with its dominant front court, did NOT need the PG to consume. Dude is the best pure point guard ever. The team even ran better with him on the court, then it did with starter Magic Johnson! Really it's not a lifetime achievement award. Sit down Zeke.

tthe dream team was selected in the 1991 offseason

Isiah Thomas beat too many of the "super stars" of that era and he and the Pistons did it consistently. That's the reason.

man stop smoking Answer one question name a NBA Hall of FAMER who can say they beat MJ, Bird & Magic. Is Scottie Pippen better than a Detroit Grant Hill lastly who had more championships Prior to Dream Team Scottie or Isiah

The Malone elbow was after the dream team selection, it was done because Isaiah made it a point to torch Stockton everytime he saw him after that. If Stockton was that great he could have made Isaiah look bad Himself.

Chris laetner made the team to ride the bench lol. It was a travesty that IT didn't make the team.

Magic Bird and Jordan hated that Isiah Thomas beat them by playing rough house basketball to win his back to back titles. Isiah should've been on that the bottom line.

The badboys had to be that way;?without playing tough they wouldnt have won. Zeke did what he had to do to make pistons contenders

10:34 that's one season if we're talking about a multiple season stretch, championships, awards, and legacies.....easily Isiah! If we're going off of the 91/92 season then we can do this for a lot of different members of the dream team imo

Team chemistry is important but the will to win and being professional should trump any petty rivalry. I see Dennis Rodman end up being on the same team and won championships together. As you know him and Pippen were bitter rivals. The fact is, it was Isiah Thomas so called best friend Magic Johnson who got Thomas banned from the Dream Team. Not Jordan or Pippen, but Magic. John Salley admitted as much.

They might have been looking out for Isaiah's safety because Malone and Barkley would have put him through hell more than anyone else in the practices. They would have let him know who the real bad boys were.

You nailed it at the end. Stockton had better stats going into that year and The Dream team needed an unselfish point guard.

One thing you have to admit: Isaiah and Laimbeer, really, really got inside Pippen's head. The guy is traumatized by them. He remembers it to this day. He could never get over it.

Being that this was the first dream team a number of great players were going to be left off. But Zeke's got 2 rings. Any of those non championship winning players would gladly trade being on that team for a title.

Where you be getting your beats homie

Jordan had nothing to do with that situation Jordan and Isiah never had beef Magic Johnson was the reason he was left off the team look the shit up. Zeke was spreading rumors around saying that Magic caught the HIV by sleeping with men. Zeke my favorite player of all time but I don't blame Magic for doing what he did. Karma comes around and now Zeke has 2 gay sons now.

The one thing Thomas had on Stockton was scoring, and on The Dream Team, they had PLENTY of scoring, they needed a distributor. The correct decision was made.

If anyone should have been left of the team it was Magic Johnson. He wasn’t even in the NBA at the time.

That team was suppose to be all 80's players Stockton played better late in his career aint no way Utah could beat Detroit in a series

Zeke was the 4th best player of the 1980's! Period!

Of course Stockton had a higher assist avg......the Pistons moved the ball and more people had assists! 😂. Besides....I’m sure Bird didn’t make it because he had a great season....he made it because he was legendary. Magic as well. Zeke was a back to back (should’ve been 3 or 4) champ and leader of an amazing team. No way Stockton makes it over him based on overall numbers and achievements.....no way. That was all political.

Scotty's body of work at that time did not warrant him being on the dream team. But he did end up proving it with the rest of his career. Could have went with Worthy or Mchale, but with Magic and Bird I think the legacy picks were taken up.

I'm more surprise that Jordan allowed Chuck Daly as the head coach for the dream team

You made a mistake by referencing the 1991-92 NBA season in comparing Isiah Thomas and John Stockton stats. The Dream Team was selected and the names of the players on the team came out on September 21st, 1991, before the 1991-92 season was ever played. You would need to go back and look at 1990-91, which wouldn't be a good reference point either because Isiah Thomas only played 48 games during the season due to a hand injury, and was still hurt during the playoffs in defense of the Pistons Back-to-Back NBA World Titles. Due to Isiah Thomas's leadership the Detroit Pistons from 1986-87 to 1990-91 reached 5 straight EC Finals, won 3 EC Championships in a row, and had won the 2 NBA Titles I just mentioned after completing the 1990-91 NBA season. John Stockton's Utah Jazz Lost in the 1st round in 87, 2nd round in 88, 1st round in 89, 1st round in 90, and 2nd round in 91. The Utah Jazz with Stockton and cheap shot artist Karl Malone never even sniffed a Conference Title, let alone a NBA World Title in that 5 year period. Oh, by the way, they never did win an NBA Championship. So I guess in the "Heart and Leadership" category, Isiah Thomas has John Stockton thoroughly beat when it comes down to team success before The Dream Team was selected. I'll take a World Champion any day of the week over an assist guy on an average team who got bounced out early and often in the playoffs. The issues with Magic, Jordan, and Bird is that they all got beat by Isiah Thomas and the Detroit Pistons, as The Bad Boys climbed the NBA Mountaintop, and they took it personal. They didn't like the way the Pistons played the game, so what. The Celtics were a dirty team back then, the Lakers wouldn't back down from anybody back then, and MJ, Scottie, and the rest of the baby Bulls had to take 3 years of ASS Kickings by Detroit before they finally figured it out. Don't cry about it. Detroit doesn't care if your feelings were hurt in the process. Isiah Thomas did what he had to do to make The Detroit Pistons multiple NBA World Champions, plain and simple. If he rubbed those guys the wrong way, so be it, that's their problem. Isiah Thomas isn't going to apologize for doing anything it took to win Championships for Detroit. Was Isiah complaining after a playoff loss to the Celtics? no. He was dejected at himself for throwing the ball away, he took on the responsibility to get better. When Detroit beat Boston in 88 to reach the NBA Finals, the Celtics starters walked off the floor while Detroit is shooting free throws and the game is still going on. Did Isiah Thomas and the Pistons complain about that? no. They put it in their memory bank. When Detroit did the same thing to Chicago 3 years later in walking off the court after defeat, MJ, Scottie, Phil, Chicago, the rest of the country was all up in arms about it because the negative picture had already been painted against Detroit by MJ, Scottie, and Phil. They would cry FOUL to the media. At the end of the day it was all political in leaving Isiah Thomas off The Dream Team. If it was based off of merit, accomplishments, body of work, stats, individual and team success, I think that is how MJ, Magic, and Bird got selected, then Isiah Thomas hands down is selected to play on The Dream Team. Isiah is in the top four that should have been called and invited to play. PERIOD!!

It was never f'n right to leave Isaiah a two time champion off the Dream Team Barkley spit on a fan actually missed and hit a little innocent girl, at this point he never got to the finals along with Stockton and Malone and you mean to tell me Zeke was not allowed on the team?! Blasphemy. I'm so glad Spider Sally told the truth that Michael wasn't the reason but it was actually Magic

Stockton wasn't putting up better numbers "by far" as you said. He only had better assist and steal numbers. Bottom line is, players didn't want to play with Isiah, but he was definitely deserving. The other thing though, is that the other Point Guards chosen were also deserving, so that's where reputation kicks in, and his reputation as a the "General" of the much hated "Bad Boys" team was the deciding factor. Other "nicer" players were selected instead.

GREAT VIDEO!! learned some new info and I especially liked the analysis on their respective seasons I heard stephen a. smith and another commentator talking about why this happened (with Pippen and Jordan) but, after they agreed it was the right move, they both nonchalantly added that it was still obvious Thomas was the far superior player. I though that was the biggest BS I ever heard ...now you confirmed what I already knew thanks again for a good video

That BS that he was not on that team

Isaiah:😥 Me:🤷🏽‍♂️

2:56 did anyone notice referee taking Scottie off the court ??? lol

So you choose the better stat to a proven winner. Winners have the intangible you can't put on paper