Isaiah Thomas, Detroit Pistons
The Bulls and Pistons have faced off in the playoffs for four years in a row, with the Pistons winning the first three. Thomas and his team left without the custom of shaking hands once the Bulls finally won the fourth. Because of this rude gesture and the previous games’ results, Jordan wasn’t sure whether he would play for the 1992 Dream Team if Thomas were there. Jordan’s insistence caused Thomas to be taken away from the squad. It wasn’t just Jordan who wanted him out of the team, it seemed. Scottie Pippen claimed in one of his interviews that, “I despised how he played the game. No, I didn’t want him on the Dream Team.”
Isaiah Thomas, Detroit Pistons
Toni Kukoc, Chicago Bulls
And it wasn’t just the rivals who had Michael Jordan’s ire. In 1990, Toni Kukoc was drafted by the Bulls but was still a player for the 1992 Olympics in Europe. MJ got tired of hearing about Kukoc going on and on with his general manager, Jerry Krause. So, when the Dream Team faced off against Croatia’s Kukoc, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen made their future teammate’s situation miserable. In an interview, Karl Malone mentioned, “They were damn near pulling straws to see who guarded him. Kukoc had no idea. Poor Kukoc ended the night with 4 points on 11 shots. Jordan and Pippen shut him down just to prove a point.”
Toni Kukoc, Chicago Bulls
