Jordan was the reason why Isiah Thomas was left off the original Dream Team.
The 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona was a big event for USA Basketball. It was an opportunity for the Americans to get back on top of the mountain after they settled for the bronze medal in Seoul four years earlier. With FIBA recently allowing professional basketball players to participate in the games, it would also mark the first time that NBA players would represent the Stars and Stripes.
Because of this, USAB needed to assemble the best team possible. To do that, they had to make sure that Michael Jordan, the best player in the world, would be on that team.
MJ wasn’t really interested in playing for the Dream Team
It was clear right from the start that MJ wasn’t 100% excited about playing in Barcelona. He had just won back-to-back NBA titles and had always stated that he already experienced winning the gold in 1984. But after heavy pressure from his commercial sponsors and players like Magic Johnson, MJ finally said yes.
The basketball world knows that Jordan was the reason why Detroit Pistons team captain Isiah Thomas was left off the Dream Team. However, as Magic revealed, MJ did not just ask the selection committee to exclude Isiah; he wanted complete control over who would play with him.
“Michael was all about who was going to be on the team. It was more important…no, make that just as important, for Michael to have a good time as it was to play games,” said Magic.
Jordan also lobbied for Mitch Richmond’s inclusion in Dream Team III
Long after his final stint for Team USA, Jordan still tried to ‘meddle’ with USA Basketball’s decision-making when he lobbied for Mitch Richmond’s inclusion in the third installment of the Dream Team. Richmond was a member of the ill-fated 1988 Olympic team that settled for the bronze medal, and MJ wanted Mitch to get a shot at redemption.
“You know, I would pick Mitch Richmond for that extra spot on the Olympic team,” said MJ. “Give him a chance to redeem himself after ’88. I love Mitch like a brother, he deserves an opportunity to get a gold…I may be biased a little bit.”
Mitch got one of the two final slots on that 1996 U.S. men’s basketball Olympic team. Richmond averaged 9.6 PPG during the tournament and was Team USA’s second-most prolific three-point shooter behind Reggie Miller. The Americans won gold, and Mitch got his redemption.
