Isiah Thomas 'hurt' by Magic's comments

[RockaFowler]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4585983

Hall of Fame players Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson famously kissed each other's cheek moments before tip-off of Game 1 of the 1988 NBA Finals.

Today, the relationship clearly isn't anywhere near as close.

In Thomas' mind, a 17-year-old wound has been reopened in a new book that Johnson and Larry Bird wrote with author Jackie MacMullan. In the book, Johnson says, among other things, that he played a role in keeping Thomas off the 1992 U.S. Olympic team.

"I'm just disappointed and hurt," Thomas told The Associated Press on Thursday night before a promotional event for his men's basketball team at FIU. "I never thought it was him who kept me off the Olympic team. That hurt."

In the book, which chronicles the careers of Bird and Johnson, the former Los Angeles Lakers great who retired from basketball in 1991 after being diagnosed with HIV said Thomas questioned his sexuality and that several players did not want him on the original "Dream Team" that easily won Olympic gold.

"Isiah killed his own chances when it came to the Olympics," Johnson said in the book, an advance copy of which was obtained by The AP. "Nobody on that team wanted to play with him. ... I'm sad for Isiah. He has alienated so many people in his life, and he still doesn't get it. He doesn't understand why he wasn't chosen for that Olympic team and that's really too bad. You should be aware when you've ticked off more than half of the NBA."


More at link . . .

[joeybee12]

1. Well, Isiah wasn't the only one spreading rumors about Magic's sexuality...

...although I don't doubt he did do it.

[Iggo]

2. Eff Isiah Thomas.

[hughee99]

3. I can't see how he'd alienate NBA players...

"if Larry Bird was black, he'd be just another good player" - Isiah Thomas

Just another good player with 3 NBA championships, 3 MVP's, 3 finals MVP's, who averaged 24.3 points, 10 rebounds, 6.3 assists per game and had a career FG% of .496, and a 3pt% of .376.

From all accounts that I've heard, Bird's not a very friendly guy, so what does it say about Thomas that 1/2 the NBA hated him and not Bird.

After his career, he drove the CBA into the ground and then followed up that by turning the Knicks into a national joke. Good luck FIU, you're going to need it.