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Isiah Thomas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Position | Point guard |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Zeke, Cuts, Tuss |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Born | April 30, 1961 (age 45) Chicago, Illinois |
| College | Indiana University |
| Draft | 2nd overall, 1981 Detroit Pistons |
| Pro career | 1981–1994 |
| Former teams | Detroit Pistons (1981 – 1994) |
| Hall of Fame | 2000 |
Isiah Lord Thomas III (/aɪˈzeɪə/) (born April 30, 1961, in Chicago, Illinois) is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA, and is currently the head coach and president of basketball operations for the NBA's New York Knicks. He was also referred to by the nicknames Zeke, Cuts (for the numerous cuts over his eyelids), The Baby-faced Assassin, The Smiling Assassin, and Tuss.
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In high school, Thomas was an All-American guard on Gene Pingatore's first team at the Catholic St. Joseph High School (Westchester, Illinois).[1] Later, Thomas played for Indiana University and was named to the 1980 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 earned All-Big Ten honors in 1980, becoming the first freshman in conference history to accomplish the feat. In 1981, during his sophomore season at Indiana, Thomas was an All-American, averaging 16 points and 5.8 assists a game as he led the Hoosiers to a 26-9 national championship season. In the title game at Philadelphia, he scored a game-high 23 points in Indiana's 63-50 victory over the University of North Carolina, and was named NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player. Thomas left Indiana early to enter the National Basketball Association draft in 1981. 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.
In the 1981 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons chose Thomas and signed him to a four-year $1.6 million contract. With their rookie point guard averaging 17 points and 7.8 assists, the Pistons improved by 18 games, from 21-61 in the 1980-81 NBA season to 39-43 in the 1981-82 NBA season. Thomas made the All-Rookie team after starting for the East in the 1982 All-Star Game.
In 1983, Thomas averaged 22.9 points, which would be his career high, and made the All-NBA second-team. The following year, under new coach Chuck Daly, he averaged 21.3 points and 11.1 assists and was voted first-team after leading the Pistons to a 49-33 record, the franchise's first winning season in seven years.
In the opening round of the 1984 NBA Playoffs, Isiah Thomas and the Pistons faced off against Bernard King and the New York Knicks. In the pivotal fifth game, Isiah Thomas was having a subpar performance, while Bernard King was having an excellent game. However, in the 4th quarter, Isiah scored 16 points in one minute and 33 seconds to force the game into overtime. King and the Knicks, however, held on to win in overtime.
Thomas recorded 1,123 assists (13.9 average) in 1985, breaking the NBA record of 1,099 set by Detroit's Kevin Porter in 1979, and was named all-league first team.
In the 1985 NBA Playoffs, Thomas led his team to the conference semi-finals against the vaunted Boston Celtics. Detroit pushed the defending champion Celtics to a six game series, and although Boston would prevail, Detroit's surprise performance promised that a rivalry had begun. In 1987 Thomas led his Pistons team, later nicknamed the "Bad Boys," to the Eastern Conference Finals, the farthest the team had advanced since moving from Fort Wayne, against the Celtics. After pushing the defending champions to a 2-2 tie, the Pistons were on the verge of winning Game 5 at the Boston Garden with seconds remaining. After a Celtics' turnover, Isiah Thomas attempted to quickly inbound the ball and missed Coach Daly's timeout signal from the bench. Larry Bird stole the inbound pass and passed it to Dennis Johnson for the game-winning layup. While the Pistons would win Game 6 in Detroit, they would lose the series in a tough Game 7 back in Boston.
Motivated by their loss to the Celtics, the 1988 Pistons fine-tuned their "Bad Boy" style and avenged their two previous playoff losses to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, defeating them in six games and advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time since the franchise moved to Detroit.
The Pistons' first trip to the Finals saw them face the Los Angeles Lakers, who were led by Magic Johnson, James Worthy, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. After taking a 3-2 series lead back to Los Angeles, Detroit appeared poised to win their first NBA title in Game 6.
One of Thomas' best known and most self-defining performances came in Game 6. 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 26 points in a single quarter of that contest, a NBA Finals record. However, the Lakers won the game, 103-102, on a pair of last-minute free throws by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar following a controversial foul called on Bill Laimbeer, referred to by many Piston supporters, and Laimbeer himself, as a "phantom foul." With Isiah Thomas unable to compete at full strength, the Lakers were able to take advantage and narrowly clinched their second consecutive title in Game 7, 108-105.
In the 1988-89 season, along with fellow teammates Joe Dumars, Rick Mahorn, Vinnie "the Microwave" Johnson, Dennis Rodman, James Edwards, John Salley, and Bill Laimbeer, Thomas guided his team to a then-franchise-record 63-19 record. The Pistons steamrolled through the playoffs and defeated Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the Conference Finals, to setup up an NBA Finals rematch with the Lakers. This time the Pistons came out victorious in a four-game sweep to win their first NBA championship. The Pistons would again win their division in the 1990, and advance past Jordan's Bulls, in what was now a heated rivalry, to defend their title in the finals against the Portland Trail Blazers. Isiah Thomas had a brilliant series in leading the Pistons to a 4-1 series win. Thomas was voted NBA Finals Most Valuable Player of the 1990 after averaging 27.6 points per game, 7.0 assists per game, and 5.2 rebounds per game in the series.
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, winning the game's MVP award twice in 1984 and 1986. He was named to the All-NBA First team three times and is the Pistons' all-time leader in points, steals, games played 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 the basket and score on much bigger players. His coach, Chuck Daly, once said that if he were six inches taller he would have been the greatest player of all time. Isiah Thomas has his number 11 retired by the Detroit Pistons and is easily considered the greatest Piston of all time. Another little realized fact is that Isiah Thomas is the only player, (other than his teammates), to have a winning record in the playoffs against fellow NBA legends, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan.
In the 1985 NBA All-Star Game, Thomas was joined on the Eastern Conference squad by star rookie Michael Jordan. Jordan wound up attempting nine shots, a relatively low number for a starting player. Afterward, Thomas and his fellow veteran East players were accused of having planned to "freeze out" Jordan from their offense by not passing him the ball, supposedly out of jealousy over the attention Jordan was receiving. No player involved has ever confirmed that the "freeze-out" occurred, but the story has been long reported, and neither Jordan nor Thomas has publicly refuted it.[2]
In the 1991 NBA Eastern Conference Finals, the two-time defending champion Detroit Pistons faced the Jordan-led Chicago Bulls for the fourth consecutive season in the playoffs. The Pistons had defeated the Bulls in each of the first three meetings, but this time they suffered a four-game sweep. The series was marked by a number of verbal and physical confrontations between players, leaving hard feelings on both sides. With 7.9 seconds remaining in the fourth game, Thomas and eight of his teammates walked off of the court, refusing to shake hands with the members of the Bulls.
Thomas was passed over by the U.S. Olympic basketball team (popularly known as the Dream Team). Rumors have swirled that Thomas was left off the team because Jordan did not want him as a teammate on account of their bitter rivalry, which had begun with the alleged "freeze-out" and had continued through their playoff battles. Thomas also believed that his place on the Olympic team had been stolen by Utah Jazz point guard John Stockton. An angered Thomas complained publicly, and later vented his frustration by drilling Stockton for 44 points during a Pistons-Jazz matchup. The next game they played, on December 14, 1991, Stockton's Jazz and Olympic teammate Karl Malone retaliated by elbowing Thomas in the head as he drove to the basket. Thomas needed 5 stitches above his eye to close the wound, while Malone was fined and suspended.
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. Over his 4-year tenure with the team, Thomas drafted Damon Stoudamire, Marcus Camby and high-schooler Tracy McGrady.
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' 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.
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 for the league's failure, citing mismanagement and out-of-control spending on his part.
From 2000 to 2003, Thomas coached the Indiana Pacers, succeeding 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 teams that went on to become the Eastern Conference Champions in that year: the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Nets.
In his last year with the Pacers, Thomas guided them 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. Thomas was criticized for overplaying Jordan during the game as an attempt to make up for their past feud. As the third seed, the Pacers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the sixth-seed Boston Celtics. With blossoming talents such as Brad Miller, Ron Artest, Al Harrington and Jamaal Tinsley, along with the veteran leadership of Reggie Miller, the perception existed that the Pacers' unfulfilled potential stemmed from Isiah Thomas' inexperience as a coach. In the offseason, Larry Bird returned to the Pacers as President of Basketball Operations, and his first act was to replace Thomas with Rick Carlisle. Bird's decision may have been influenced by his weak relationship with Thomas.
In 2000, Thomas was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame, in his initial year of eligibility.
On December 22, 2003, he was given the job of president of basketball operations by the New York Knicks. He immediately changed the face of the franchise by trading for a number of high-priced stars. However, despite a very high payroll, the team performed poorly, finishing last in the Atlantic Division in 2005. To address this, Thomas has made even more trades, sometimes trading away players he had paid a high price to trade for just a year or so previously.[citation needed]
Thomas has seemingly been unsuccessful with the Knicks roster and fanbase so far. At the end of the 2005-06 season, the Knicks had the highest payroll in the NBA, yet earned the second-worst record in the NBA, and traded away several future draft picks, including the number 2 overall pick in 2006. The 2005 signing of career backup Jerome James to a 5-year $30 million free-agent contract was seen as a questionable move, even more so as he averaged only 2.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 22 games.[citation needed]
On June 22, 2006, the New York Knicks fired coach Larry Brown, and Thomas replaced him. Team owner James Dolan has said that he is giving Thomas one year to turn around the Knicks and make them a better franchise or he will be fired.[3]
On December 16, 2006, his team became embroiled in a vicious brawl with the Denver Nuggets, which Thomas was alleged to instigate by ordering his players to commit a hard foul in the paint.[4] He received no fine nor suspension; NBA Commissioner David Stern was quoted as relying only on "definitive information" when handing out punishments.[5] Since that brawl, the Knicks have gone 20-17, highlighted by victories over Utah (in ot), Charlotte (in 3ot), Detroit (in 3ot) and the Lakers twice.
On March 12, 2007, the New York Knicks re-signed Thomas to an undisclosed "multi year" contract 9 months after Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan forewarned Thomas that the Knicks needed to show "evident progress" or he'd be out of a job. Dolan made the announcement well ahead of time, as in December, he said he would not make an announcement until after the year was over.[6]
On April 3 2007 Isiah Thomas was fined for insulting the officials and saying that Stephon Marbury doesn't get the same respect as any other player in the NBA.
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.[7] It was known as "Popcorn, Indiana", prior to his investment. The company currently has seven stores, two in Manhattan, and one each in Teaneck, New Jersey, Long Island, Philadelphia, Minnesota and West Nyack, New York, plus online and mail-order operations.
Thomas also appeared in the noted basketball documentary Hoop Dreams.
Thomas was very active with the Dr. Martin Luther King Boys & Girls Club as a youth growing up on Chicago's west side.
On January 24, 2006, Thomas and Madison Square Garden were sued for sexual harassment and retaliation by Anucha Browne Sanders.[8] Thomas is alleged to have made demeaning statements to Sanders as well as making sexual advances and repeatedly telling her that he was in love with her.
- Games played: 979
- Games started: 971
- Minutes per game: 36.3
- Points scored: 18,822
- Assists: 9,061
- Rebounds: 3,478
- Steals: 1,861
- Points per game: 19.2
- Assists per game: 9.3
- Rebounds per game: 3.6
- Steals per game: 1.9
- Field goal percentage: .452
- Free throw percentage: .759
- Three-point percentage: .290
- ^ http://www.ihsa.org/initiatives/legends/index.htm
- ^ http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/1999/jordan_retires/news/1999/01/13/wolff/index.html
- ^ http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=2122499&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
- ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2700761
- ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2701228
- ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2795257
- ^ http://www.daleandthomaspopcorn.com
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/sports/AP-BKN-Knicks-Thomas-Harassment-Suit.html
| Preceded by Darrell Griffith |
NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player (men's) 1981 |
Succeeded by James Worthy |
| Preceded by Alex English |
President of the NBA Players Association 1987–1994 |
Succeeded by Buck Williams |
| Preceded by Larry Bird |
Indiana Pacers Head Coach 2000–2003 |
Succeeded by Rick Carlisle |
| Preceded by Larry Brown |
New York Knicks Head Coach 2006– |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | 1961 births | African American basketball players | American basketball players | American basketball coaches | Basketball Hall of Fame | People from Chicago | Detroit Pistons players | Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball players | Indiana Pacers coaches | Indiana University alumni | Living people | National Basketball Association broadcasters | National Basketball Association executives | New York Knicks | New York Knicks coaches | Toronto Raptors | McDonald's High School All-Americans | Rye Country Day School people | African American NBA coaches