至於是不是因為 Jordan 所以 Thomas 才沒入選, 雖然我沒喜歡過 Jordan, 但是就算是, 那也很合理, 畢竟兩個人在個人以及球隊之間有太多的恩怨, 有排擠心理是很正常的.
關於這件事, 我最受不了的是 Magic Johnson, 表面上跟 Thomas 稱兄道弟, 但是一直到 2009 年, 一本和 Bird 合作的書要發行, 才透露出原來他才是當年反對 Thomas 加入, 發聲最大的人士之一. 而且硬是要拉 Bird 一起下水...
"Isiah killed his own chances when it came to the Olympics. Nobody on that team wanted to play with him. ... Michael didn't want to play with him. Scottie [Pippen] wanted no part of him. Bird wasn't pushing for him. Karl Malone didn't want him. Who was saying, 'We need this guy?' Nobody.''
也許當年的時空環境, 入選的 11 位 NBA 球員都不希望 Thomas 入選, 但是, 是不是代表他們就真的認為 Thomas 不夠格入選? 92 年當年, 記者們最愛的 Barkley 這樣說過:
"I think that’s unfair (that he was left off the team) and I’m disappointed. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity for Isiah Thomas that he was denied."
NBA commissioner David Stern later told Rome that he was less involved with USA Basketball then than he is now, but had it been his decision, "I would have had Isiah on the team."
Thomas 一直都是一個受爭議的人物, 球員們或是球迷們, 要嘛愛他, 要嘛恨他! 反正自由社會, 這是每個人的選擇. 但是讓我們看看另一位 Dream Team 的控球後衛, 大多數人認為是他搶走了 Thomas 在這支球隊的位置的 John Stockton 的做法與說法...
Stockton 邀請 Thomas 為他入選籃球名人堂做致詞. 然後他說了:
"He's done some things behind the scenes that people don't know about," Stockton told The Salt Lake Tribune. "I'm certainly not going to talk about them now ... but he's shown a lot of class."
反正都已經是 20 年前的往事了, 當年出生的嬰兒, 現在也都已經大二了. 看看 Thomas 自己對於這部影片的回應, 也就可以了.
"Today, like all Americans, I congratulate the Dream Team on their anniversary. I am proud of my career in the NBA and have fond memories of going head-to-head with all the members of the team. I can't speak to the selection process as I wasn't involved. But 20 years later, their gold medal is still a momentous achievement."