Isiah Thomas' Olympic hopes were denied, not once but twice

FILE - In this May 11, 1994, file photo, Detroit Pistons guard Isiah Thomas announces his retirement from basketball at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Mich. Thomas' Olympic hopes were denied, not once but twice. Thomas was famously left off the U.S. Olympic team — the first Dream Team — that won a gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics with ease. But he could have been an Olympian 12 years earlier, had the Americans not boycotted the 1980 Moscow Games. (AP Photo/Richard Sheinwald, File)

FILE - In this June 20, 1990, filer photo, Detroit Pistons guard and captain Isiah Thomas holds the 1990 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player trophy presented to him during ceremonies in New York. Thomas was famously left off the U.S. Olympic team — the first Dream Team — that won a gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics with ease. But he could have been an Olympian 12 years earlier, had the Americans not boycotted the 1980 Moscow Games. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, Filer)