Isiah Thomas
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Image:Isiah thomas.jpg Isiah Lord Thomas III (born April 30, 1961 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American former professional basketball player and coach, and is currently the president of basketball operations for the NBA's New York Knicks. His name is spelled Isiah but pronounced the same as the more common Isaiah /Template:IPA/. He was also referred to by the nicknames Zeke, Cuts (for the numerous cuts over his eyelids) and Baby-face Assassin.
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College and Olympic career
Thomas played for Indiana University and was named to the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, although the U.S. boycotted that year's games in Moscow in protest of the invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union. He left Indiana for the National Basketball Association in 1981, after a sophomore year in which he led the Hoosiers to the NCAA national title; he earned a bachelor's degree from IU in criminal justice several years later, as he promised his mother in writing that he would when he left college early to enter the NBA draft.
NBA playing career
Thomas, a 6-1, 182 pound point guard, ranks as one of the 50 greatest players of all time. From 1981 to 1994 Thomas had an exceptional career with the Detroit Pistons. He was a 12-time NBA All-Star, and is the Pistons' all-time leader in both points and assists. Thomas ranks fourth in NBA history in assists (9,061, 9.3 apg) and ranks ninth in NBA history in steals (1,861). Thomas was known for his dazzling dribbling ability as well as his uncanny ability to drive to basket and score on much bigger players.
With fellow Detroit Bad Boys teammates Joe Dumars, Rick Mahorn, Vinnie the "Microwave" Johnson, Dennis Rodman, and Bill Laimbeer, he led the Pistons to NBA titles in 1989 and 1990, and was voted NBA Finals Most Valuable Player in 1990 after averaging 27.6 ppg, 7.0 apg, and 5.2 rpg in the series. He once scored 16 points in 93 seconds in a 1984 NBA Playoffs game against the New York Knicks. In Game 6 of the 1988 NBA Finals, Thomas set an NBA Finals record by scoring 25 points in a quarter, while playing on a severely injured ankle. Also known as being the player that was snubbed by the 1992 Dream Team when John Stockton was picked over him. Thomas had two championships, which was the highest amount of championships over all dream team members, with the exceptions of Magic Johnson (5), Larry Bird (3), and Michael Jordan (2). The theory is he was snubbed by the team because Michael Jordan did not want Thomas on the same team as him, due to their bitter rivalries in their playoff battles, as well as Jordan still harboring ill will with Thomas due to a freeze-out of Jordan that happened at the 1985 NBA All-Star Game, for which he felt Thomas was the culprit.
Post-NBA career
Toronto Raptors
After retirement Thomas became part owner and Executive Vice President for the expansion Toronto Raptors from 1994 to 1998, but left the organization after a dispute with new management. During his tenure with the Raptors, Thomas was unable to deliver them to the playoffs.
Broadcasting
After leaving the Raptors, Thomas became a television commentator (first as the lead game analyst with play-by-play man Bob Costas and then as part of the studio team) for NBC. Thomas's sometimes clumsy, monotone vocal delivery eventually led NBC to add Bill Walton as a secondary analyst to help compensate for Isiah's deficiencies as a commentator during game broadcasts. Thomas also worked a three man booth with Costas and Doug Collins.
CBA
Thomas became the owner of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) from 1998 to 2000. After his purchase of the Continental Basketball Association, the league was forced into bankruptcy and folded. Many CBA managers blamed Thomas' mismanagement and out of control spending.
Indiana Pacers
From 2000 to 2003, Thomas coached the Indiana Pacers, replacing Larry Bird, who previously coached the Pacers to the NBA Eastern Conference title. Working with the leadership of Reggie Miller, Thomas helped bring up young talents such as Jermaine O'Neal, Jamaal Tinsley, Al Harrington, and Jeff Foster. In his first two seasons with the Pacers, the team was eliminated in the first round by the eventual Eastern Conference Champions of the respective years, Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Nets. In what would be his last year with the Pacers, Thomas guided the Pacers to a 48-34 record in the regular season and coached the East squad at the 2003 NBA All-Star game. The game was also Michael Jordan's final All-Star game, as Thomas was criticized for overplaying Jordan during the game as an attempt to make up for their feud in the past. The Pacers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs as the third seed to the Celtics (#6 seed). With blossoming talents such as Brad Miller, Ron Artest, Al Harrington, Jamaal Tinsley, along with the veteran leadership of Reggie Miller, the general perception existed that the Pacers' unfulfilled potential stemmed from Isiah Thomas's inexperience as a coach
Departure from the Pacers
Thomas's dismissal from the Pacers remains highly questionnable, since Larry Bird came on as President of Basketball Operations. Their relationship was tenuous before and after his dismissal. It has been speculated but never substantiated that part of the reason their relationship was chilly was in part due to a comment Thomas had made about Bird's status as a superstar following Bird's Boston Celtics defeating Detroit in the 1987 NBA Eastern Conference Finals, saying that "If (Bird) were black, he'd be just another guy". Thomas was replaced by Rick Carlisle who coached the Pacers to the Eastern Conference finals in his first year with the Pacers, essentially validating Bird's view that the team underachieved with Thomas at the helm.
Hall of Fame
In 2001, Thomas was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
New York Knicks
On December 22, 2003, he was given the job of president of basketball operations by the New York Knicks, immediately changing the face of the franchise by trading for star point guard Stephon Marbury, small forward Tim Thomas and shooting guard Jamal Crawford. However, despite a very high payroll, the team finished last in the Atlantic Division in 2005. Thomas also traded away an unprotected first round draft pick as well as Tim Thomas, Michael Sweetney, and possibly another first round draft pick for the talented yet underachieving Eddy Curry in the offseason of 2005 despite widespread concern over Curry's heart condition. In 2006, he traded the expiring contracts of Antonio Davis and Anfernee Hardaway for Jalen Rose and Steve Francis respectively. Some question the move since Rose is due $15 million in 2007 and Francis $13 million, futher inflating the payroll. Moreover, both players have been widely viewed as undesirable and malcontents throughout their careers. Thomas continues to attempt to remake the Knicks roster, so far without success and seemingly without any regard to the team's chemistry. In fairness, it should be mentioned that the Knicks' draft choices appear to be promising. However, approaching the end of the 2005-2006 season, the Knicks have the highest payroll in the NBA, have traded away several future draft picks, and remain at the bottom of the win-loss column. The Knicks' futility and their personnel decisions have made Thomas a lightning rod for criticism and the butt of numerous jokes.
Other
Thomas, a self-proclaimed fan of popcorn who has served as the official spokesperson for National Popcorn Poppin' Month, is a partner in the New York-based gourmet-popcorn chain Dale and Thomas Popcorn. It was known as "Popcorn, Indiana", prior to his investment. The company currently has seven stores, two in Manhattan, and one each in New Jersey, Long Island, Philadelphia, Minnesota and West Nyack, NY, plus online and mail-order operations.
Sexual harassment lawsuit
On January 24, 2006, Thomas and Madison Square Garden were sued for sexual harassment and retaliation by Anucha Browne Sanders.[1] Thomas is alleged to have made numerous sexist and demeaning statements to Browne Sanders. In addition, he is accused of making sexual advances toward Browne Sanders and repeatedly telling her that he was in love with her. The lawsuit also alleges that Thomas told Browne Sanders he was pushing for more home games at noon on Sundays. His plan, according to Sanders, was to have opposing players go to New York clubs, including strip clubs, on Saturday nights to get them drunk so they would be sluggish for the next day's game. Lawyers for Thomas claim the suit is a baseless attempt by Sanders to earn a large amount of money. In the days following the lawsuit becoming public knowledge, Thomas called 2 separate press conferences to deny that he had ever harassed Browne Sanders. Since the lawsuit became public, several other employees and former employees have gone public with similar lawsuits, and some in the public are questioning if the organization is insensitive to sexual harassment and discrimination.
Career highlights
One of Thomas's best known and most self-defining performances came in Game 6 of the 1988 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. Although he badly twisted his ankle in the game, Thomas continued to play. While hobbling and in obvious pain, Isiah was still able to score 25 points in a single quarter of that contest, an NBA Finals record. He will also be remembered for the Pistons' refusal to shake hands with the Chicago Bulls, who finally beat the defending champs in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1991. Rumors would surface that this rivalry between Thomas and Michael Jordan would trigger Thomas's exclusion from the 1992 Olympic Dream Team Olympic basketball team that would go on to win the gold medal in Barcelona. Fans of the Boston Celtics also remember him for his inbound pass stolen by Larry Bird in the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals that decided the game and ultimately the series in favor of the Celtics. Isiah went on an 8-day bender following the loss, an experience that was adapted into the motion picture He Got Game.
Thomas was ranked #17 on SLAM Magazine's Top 75 NBA Players of all time in 2003.
Lifetime stats
- Games: 979
- PTS: 18,822
- PPG: 19.2
- APG: 9.3
- RPG: 3.6
- STL: 1,861
- FG%: .452
- FT%: .759
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Categories: 1961 births | African American basketball players | American basketball coaches | American basketball players | Basketball Hall of Fame | Chicagoans | Detroit Pistons players | Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball players | Indiana Pacers coaches | Living people | National Basketball Association broadcasters | NBC Sports | National Basketball Association executives | New York Knicks | Toronto Raptors | McDonald's High School All-Americans