Isaiah Thomas, Detroit Pistons
For four years in a row, the Bulls and Pistons faced off in the playoffs with the Pistons winning the first three. Once the Bulls finally won the fourth, Thomas and his team left without doing the custom of shaking hands. Because of this rude gesture and the results of the prior games, Jordan wasn’t sure whether he would play for the 1992 Dream Team if Thomas was there. Jordan’s urging caused Thomas to be taken off the squad. It seemed like it wasn’t just Jordan who wanted him out of the team. In one of his interviews, Scottie Pippen said, “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 received the ire of Michael Jordan. Toni Kukoc was drafted by the Bulls in 1990 but was still a player in Europe for the 1992 Olympics. MJ got tired of hearing his general manager Jerry Krause went on and on about Kukoc. So, when the Dream Team faced off against Kukoc’s Croatia, Michael Jordan, and Scottie Pippen made the situation miserable for their future teammate. Karl Malone mentioned in an interview, “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
