Published by Marcus Vanderberg on Friday, October 23, 2009 at 12:27 am.
Can’t we all just get along?
Years after competing against each other on the court, Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson are in the middle of a heated feud.
Is it 1992 or 2009? I mean seriously, fellas.
In a new book Johnson wrote with Larry Bird, the Lakers point guard says he played a role in keeping Thomas off the 1992 Dream Team.
“Isiah killed his own chances when it came to the Olympics,” Johnson said in the book. “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.”
Thomas has long had a history of being disliked in NBA locker rooms, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that nobody wanted to play with him.
But to hear it from a guy who had such a public relationship with Thomas, including exchanging kisses before the 1988 NBA Finals, has to hurt.
“I’m just disappointed and hurt,” Thomas told The Associated Press on Thursday. “I never thought it was him who kept me off the Olympic team. That hurt.”
This is what happens when you’re a jerk to people, Zeke.
On Thursday’s Pardon the Interruption, Boston Globe reporter Jackie MacMullan, who helped write the book with the two NBA legends, discussed the feud.
Published by Marcus Vanderberg on Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 2:15 am.
For fans of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, HBO is working on a documentary about the rival between these two basketball legends.
The HBO project will trace the competition between the two superstars from their days at Michigan State and Indiana State all the way through their intense battles in the NBA Finals.
Sorry LeBron and Kobe, but those two have nothing on Bird and Magic during the prime in the ’80s.
We might never see a rivalry of this intensity that started in college ever again, and hopefully this project will illustrate how talented both players were.
Published by Marcus Vanderberg on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 2:52 pm.
NBA great Earvin “Magic” Johnson will leave his announcing gig at TNT Sports and take a similar role at ESPN, serving as a studio analyst for ESPN and ABC.
“Magic has always been one of the most accomplished people in every field he has endeavored. He was an incomparable player and has become one of the best NBA analysts in the business,” said Norby Williamson, ESPN executive vice president, production. “His unique insights, perspective and personality will be the perfect complement to Stuart, Mike and Jon.”
Johnson had been an anaylst for TNT Sports for seven seasons and was a good fit with the team of Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith.
The Magic man will be paired up primarly with Stuart Scott, Michael Wilbon and Jon Barry.