| Isiah Thomas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Position(s): Point guard | Jersey #(s): 11 |
| Born: April 30, 1961 Chicago, Illinois | |
| Career information | |
| Year(s): 1981–1994 | |
| NBA Draft: 1981 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2 | |
| College: Indiana | |
| Professional teams | |
| |
| Career stats | |
| Points | 18,822 |
| Assists | 9,061 |
| Steals | 1,861 |
| Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Basketball Hall of Fame | |
Isiah Lord Thomas III (/aɪˈzeɪə/) (born April 30, 1961, in Chicago, Illinois) is a retired American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and is the former head coach of the NBA's New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers. The J Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA award given since the 1974–75 NBA season, to a player coach or trainer The 50 Greatest Players in National Basketball Association History (also referred to as the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team or NBA's Top 50) were chosen The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in downtown Springfield Massachusetts, honors players who have shown exceptional skill at Basketball Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m 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. A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. During the NBA's 50th anniversary, the former Detroit Pistons point guard was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. The Detroit Pistons are a team in the National Basketball Association based in the Detroit metropolitan area The 50 Greatest Players in National Basketball Association History (also referred to as the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team or NBA's Top 50) were chosen The nickname "smiling assassin" was given for his reputation as a fierce competitor on the court.
Contents |
College career
Thomas played for Bob Knight's Hoosiers at Indiana University. Robert Montgomery (Bob or Bobby Knight (born October 25 1940 in Massillon Ohio) also known as "The General" is an American former college This page is about the movie "Hoosiers" Hoosiers is also the nickname of Indiana University athletic teams see Indiana Hoosiers. Indiana University, founded in 1820, is a nine-campus University system in the state of Indiana. In 1981 Thomas led the Hoosiers to the NCAA Tournament National Championship and earned the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award. After accomplishing this in his sophomore season, Thomas made himself eligible for the NBA Draft. The NBA Draft is an annual North American event in which the National Basketball Association 's (NBA thirty teams (29 in the United States and one in
NBA playing career
In the 1981 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons chose Thomas and signed him to a four-year $1. The 1981 NBA Draft took place on 9 June 1981. It featured NBA teams selecting college and other players in a pre-decided order based The Detroit Pistons are a team in the National Basketball Association based in the Detroit metropolitan area 6 million contract. Thomas made the All-Rookie team and started for the Eastern Conference in the 1982 All-Star Game. The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams and organized in three divisions of five teams each The 1981–82 NBA Season was the 36th season of the National Basketball Association. The National Basketball Association staged its first All-Star Game in the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951.
In the opening round of the 1984 NBA Playoffs, Thomas and the Pistons faced off against Bernard King and the New York Knicks. The 1984 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1983-84 season. For the 1981 born basketball player see Bernard King (Texas A&M Aggies. In the pivotal fifth game, Thomas was having a subpar performance, while Bernard King was having an excellent game. However, in the 4th quarter, Thomas 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.
In the 1985 NBA Playoffs, Thomas and his team went to the conference semi-finals against the 15 time NBA champion Boston Celtics led by Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson. The 1985 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1984-85 season. The Boston Celtics are an American professional Basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, playing in the Atlantic Division of the Larry Joe Bird (born December 7 1956 is a retired American NBA Basketball player widely considered as one of the best players of all time and one of the top For other people of the same name see Kevin McHale (disambiguation Kevin Edward McHale (born December 19 1957 is an American former Robert Lee Parish (born in Shreveport Louisiana) is a retired American Basketball center. WikipediaPersondata --> Dennis Wayne Johnson (September 18 1954 &ndash February 22 2007 nicknamed "DJ" was an American professional Basketball Detroit couldn't shake the Celtics in their six game series, eventually losing.
In the 1987 NBA Playoffs, Thomas and the Pistons went to the Eastern Conference Finals and faced the Boston Celtics. The 1987 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1986-1987 season. It was the farthest the team had advanced since moving from Fort Wayne when they were the Zollner-Pistons. Fort Wayne is a City in northeastern Indiana, United States and the County seat of Allen The Pistons were able to tie the Celtics at two games a piece. Detroit's hopes of winning Game 5 and was dashed at the Boston Garden with seconds remaining in a play by Larry Bird: Thomas attempted to quickly inbound the ball, Larry Bird stole the inbound pass and passed it to Dennis Johnson for the game-winning layup. The Boston Garden was a famous Arena built in 1928 in Boston Massachusetts.
In 1988 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. The Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association (NBA team based in Los Angeles, California. James Ager Worthy (born February 27 1961 in Gastonia North Carolina) is a retired American college and professional Basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr; April 16 1947 is an American athlete and retired professional Basketball player widely considered Prior to the series, Thomas and Johnson would exchange a courtside kiss on the cheek prior to tip-off as a sign of their deep friendship. 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' most inspiring and self-defining moments came in Game 6. Although he had fractured his ankle late in the game, Thomas continued to play. While hobbling and in obvious pain, Isiah was scored 25 points in a single quarter of the contest, an 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 foul called on Bill Laimbeer. William "Bill" Laimbeer Jr (born May 19 1957) is a retired National Basketball Association player for the Detroit Pistons. 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, Thomas, along with fellow teammates Adrian Dantley, Joe Dumars, Rick Mahorn, Vinnie Johnson, Dennis Rodman, James Edwards, John Salley, Bill Laimbeer, and Mark Aguirre, guided his team to a then-franchise record 63-19 record. The 1988–89 NBA season was the 43rd season of the National Basketball Association. Adrian Delano Dantley (born February 28 1956 in Washington DC Joe Dumars III (born May 24 1963 in Shreveport Louisiana) is a former Basketball player in the NBA, and currently the Detroit Pistons Derrick (Rick Allen Mahorn (born September 21, 1958 in Hartford Connecticut) is a former NBA Basketball player who at 6'10 played Vincent "Vinnie" Johnson (born September 1 1956 in Brooklyn, New York) is a retired American professional Basketball Dennis Keith Rodman (born May 13 1961 is a retired American professional Basketball National Basketball Association (NBA player of the Detroit Pistons James Franklin Edwards (born November 22 1955, in Seattle, Washington, U John Thomas "Spider" Salley (born May 16 1964 is a retired American professional Basketball player in the NBA, actor and Talk show William "Bill" Laimbeer Jr (born May 19 1957) is a retired National Basketball Association player for the Detroit Pistons. Mark Anthony Aguirre (born December 10 1959 in Chicago Illinois) is a retired American Basketball player in the National Basketball Association. Detroit played a brash and dominating brand of basketball through the playoffs. The 1989 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1988-1989 season. With Boston's injuries persisting, the Pistons defeated Michael Jordan and the up and coming Chicago Bulls in the Conference Finals, to set up an NBA Finals rematch with the Lakers. Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17 1963 is a retired American professional Basketball player and active businessman The Chicago Bulls are an American professional Basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Thomas and the Pistons then won their first of back-to-back championships when they defeated the Lakers in a 4-game sweep. The following year, Thomas was voted NBA Finals Most Valuable Player of the 1990 after averaging 27. The National Basketball Association Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA award given since the 1969 NBA Finals. The 1990 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1989-90 NBA season. 6 points per game, 7. 0 assists per game, and 5. 2 rebounds per game in the series with Clyde Drexler's Portland Trailblazers. A rebound in Basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or Free throw. An aging and ailing Thomas tore his Achilles' tendon in April 1994 and decided to end his career as a player the following month in May. The Achilles tendon (or occasionally Achilles’ tendon) also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendocalcaneous, is a Tendon of the posterior
Thomas, a 6-1, 185-pound point guard, ranks as one of the best players of all-time. His toughness and competitive fire won many admirers as well as adversaries over the years. 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. In Basketball, a steal occurs when a defensive player legally gains control of the ball from an offensive player In Basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" 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 dribbling ability as well as his uncanny ability to drive to the basket and score. His number 11 was retired by the Detroit Pistons. Despite his ability and accomplishments, Thomas was left off the Original Olympic Dream Team, possibly as a result of his alleged feud with Michael Jordan.
Post-NBA career
Toronto Raptors
After retiring Thomas became part owner and Executive Vice President for the expansion Toronto Raptors in 1994. The Toronto Raptors are a professional Basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario. In 1998, he left the organization after a dispute with new management. During his 4-year tenure with the team, the Raptors drafted Damon Stoudamire, Marcus Camby and high-schooler Tracy McGrady. Damon Lamon Stoudamire (born September 3 1973 is an American professional Basketball player currently a free agent in the NBA. Marcus D Camby (born March 22 1974 in Hartford, Connecticut) is an American professional Basketball player who currently plays for the Tracy Lamar McGrady Jr (born May 24 1979 in Bartow Florida) is an American professional Basketball player currently positioned at starting
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 NBA on NBC. Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas (born March 22, 1952) is a Sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s NBA Showtime is the pregame show aired before each NBA on NBC telecast The NBA on NBC was a weekly presentation of National Basketball Association games on the National Broadcasting Company television network from Thomas also worked a three man booth with Costas and Doug Collins. Paul Douglas Collins (born July 28, 1951 in Christopher Illinois) is a former four-time NBA Basketball All-Star
CBA
Thomas became the owner of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) from 1998 to 2000. The Continental Basketball Association ( CBA) is a professional men's Basketball league in the United States. Athletics For an extensive coverage see 1998 in athletics (track and field Decathlon Athletics For an extensive coverage see 2000 in athletics (track and field Marathon International After his purchase of the CBA for $5M, the league was forced into bankruptcy and folded, after Thomas rejected an offer from the NBA for $11M to make it an official minor league of the NBA. [1] Many CBA managers blamed Thomas for the league's failure, citing mismanagement and out-of-control spending on his part. Many such managers publicly declared that Thomas ran the league into the ground, possibly on purpose to eliminate the non-NBA-owned minor league in order to make room for the NBA-owned NBDL.
Indiana Pacers
From 2000 to 2003, Thomas coached the Indiana Pacers, succeeding Larry Bird, who previously coached the Pacers to the NBA Eastern Conference title. For the coaching strategy game see NFL Head Coach. A head coach is a professional who is responsible for the overall actions of Larry Joe Bird (born December 7 1956 is a retired American NBA Basketball player widely considered as one of the best players of all time and one of the top The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams and organized in three divisions of five teams each Thomas attempted to bring up young talents such as Jermaine O'Neal, Jamaal Tinsley, Al Harrington, and Jeff Foster. Jermaine Lee O'Neal (born October 13 1978, in Columbia South Carolina) is an American professional Basketball player who plays Jamaal Lee Tinsley (born February 28 1978, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American professional Basketball player currently Albert (Al Harrington (born February 17 1980 in Orange, New Jersey) is an American professional Basketball player currently Jeffrey Douglas Foster (born January 16 1977, in San Antonio Texas) is an American professional Basketball player who currently plays Unfortunately Thomas was unable to continue to build on the accomplishments of his predecessor. In his first two seasons with the Pacers, the team was eliminated in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Nets who did happen to go to the NBA Finals in those years. The Philadelphia 76ers (also known as the Sixers for short are a professional Basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The New Jersey Nets are a professional Basketball team in the National Basketball Association that plays in the Eastern Conference 's Atlantic
In 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 2003 NBA All-Star Game was the 52nd edition of the All-Star Game. The game was also Michael Jordan's final All-Star game. Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17 1963 is a retired American professional Basketball player and active businessman 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. The 2003 NBA playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association 's 2002-03 NBA season. The Boston Celtics are an American professional Basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, playing in the Atlantic Division of the 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. Bradley Alan Miller (born April 12 1976) is an American professional Basketball player currently starting at center for the Ronald William Artest Jr (born November 13 1979) is an American professional Basketball player who currently plays with the Houston Albert (Al Harrington (born February 17 1980 in Orange, New Jersey) is an American professional Basketball player currently Jamaal Lee Tinsley (born February 28 1978, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American professional Basketball player currently Reginald Wayne Miller (born August 24 1965 is a retired American professional Basketball player and one of the greatest NBA players of the 90s In the off-season, Larry Bird returned to the Pacers as President of Basketball Operations, and his first act was to replace Thomas with Rick Carlisle. Richard Preston Carlisle (pronounced KAHR-lye-uhl (born October 27, 1959 in Ogdensburg New York) is a former Basketball player and former
Hall of Fame
In 2000, Thomas was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame, in his initial year of eligibility. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in downtown Springfield Massachusetts, honors players who have shown exceptional skill at Basketball
New York Knicks
On December 22, 2003, the New York Knicks hired Thomas as President of Basketball Operations. Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Thomas was ultimately unsuccessful with the Knicks roster and fanbase. At the end of the 2005-06 season, the Knicks had the highest payroll in the league and the second-worst record. The 2005–06 NBA season was the 60th season of the National Basketball Association. He traded away several future draft picks to Chicago in a deal for Eddy Curry including what turned out to be 2 lottery picks in talent rich drafts. Eddy Curry Jr (born December 5 1982) is an American professional Basketball player in the NBA currently with the New York
On June 22, 2006, the Knicks fired coach Larry Brown, and owner James Dolan replaced him with Thomas under the condition that he show "evident progress" or be fired. Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Lawrence Harvey Brown (born September 14 1940 in Brooklyn, New York, United States) is the head coach of the National Basketball Association James L Dolan (born 1956 is Chairman of the Board of Cablevision Systems Incorporated -- parent company of the Madison Square Garden corporation in
During the following season the Knicks 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. The Knicks-Nuggets Brawl was an on-court altercation at a National Basketball Association game between the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets at Madison The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. [2] He received no fine nor suspension; NBA Commissioner David Stern was quoted as relying only on "definitive information" when handing out punishments. David Joel Stern (born on September 22, 1942 in New York City, New York) is the current commissioner of the National Basketball Association [3] Later in the season the New York Knicks re-signed Thomas to an undisclosed "multi-year" contract 9 months after James Dolan demanded "evident progress". James L Dolan (born 1956 is Chairman of the Board of Cablevision Systems Incorporated -- parent company of the Madison Square Garden corporation in [4] After Thomas was granted the extension, the Knicks abruptly fell from playoff contention with a dismal finish to the season.
During the 2007 Draft, Thomas made another trade by acquiring Zach Randolph, Fred Jones, and Dan Dickau from the Portland Trail Blazers for Steve Francis and Channing Frye. Zachary "Zach" Randolph (born July 16, 1981 in Marion Indiana) is an American professional Basketball player currently Frederick (Freddy/Fred Terrell Jones (born March 11 1979) is an American professional Basketball player who plays at the Shooting guard Daniel (Dan David Dickau (born September 16, 1978 in Portland Oregon) is an American professional Basketball player for the The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, is an American professional Basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. Steve D'Shawn Francis (born February 21 1977, in Takoma Park Maryland, U Channing Thomas Frye (born May 17 1983 in White Plains New York) is an American professional Basketball player with the NBA 's Portland
Thomas also compounded the Knicks salary cap problems by signing fringe players such as Jerome James and Jared Jeffries to the full mid-level exception contract. Jerome Keith James (born November 17 1975 in Tampa Florida) is an American professional Basketball player who currently plays Jared Scott Carter Jeffries (born November 25 1981, in Bloomington Indiana) is an American professional Basketball player for the Neither player has seen any significant playing time and are often injured and when able to play are highly ineffective.
Despite the constant criticism that he received from Knicks fans, Thomas maintained that he had no intention of leaving until he turned the team around and he predicted that he would lead the Knicks to a championship, stating that his goal was to leave behind a "championship legacy" with the Knicks, just as he had done for the Detroit Pistons. This prediction was met with widespread skepticism. [5]
On April 2, 2008, Donnie Walsh was introduced to replace Thomas as President of Basketball Operations for the Knicks. Joseph Donald Walsh Jr, better known as Donnie Walsh (born March 1, 1941 in New York City) is a former professional Basketball coach Walsh would not comment definitively on whether or not Thomas would be retained in any capacity at the time of his hiring.
One night after the Knicks tied a franchise record of 59 losses and ended their season, news broke that in talks with Walsh the week before, Isiah had been told he would not return as Knicks head coach the following season. He was officially 'reassigned' on April 18 'after a season of listless and dreadful basketball, a tawdry lawsuit and unending chants from fans demanding his dismissal. Events 1025 - Bolesław Chrobry is crowned in Gniezno, becoming the first King of Poland. ' [6] As part of the reassignment agreement Thomas was banned from having contact with any Knicks' players under the rationale that he could willingly or unwillingly undermine Donnie Walsh and the new head coach. [7]
Controversy
In the 1985 NBA All-Star Game, Thomas was joined on the Eastern Conference squad by star rookie Michael Jordan. The 1984–85 NBA season was the 39th season of the National Basketball Association. The National Basketball Association staged its first All-Star Game in the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951. Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17 1963 is a retired American professional Basketball player and active businessman 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 has never been refuted by Jordan. For other uses see Anecdota. For a comparison of anecdote with other kinds of stories see Myth legend fairy tale and fable. [8] Thomas has ridiculed the idea of him being the mastermind behind a supposed "freeze-out" as being "ludicrous" citing that he was a relatively young player on a team including Larry Bird, Julius Erving and Moses Malone. [9]
In the Eastern Conference Finals of the 1991 NBA Playoffs, the two-time defending champion Detroit Pistons faced the Jordan-led Chicago Bulls for the fourth consecutive season in the playoffs. The 1991 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1990-91 season. The Chicago Bulls are an American professional Basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern The Pistons had defeated the Bulls in each of the first three meetings, but this time they suffered a four-game sweep at the hands of Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls. The series was marked by a number of verbal, physical, and match-up problems. With 7. 9 seconds remaining in the fourth game, Thomas and eight of his teammates walked off the court, refusing to shake hands with the members of the Bulls.
In 1992 Thomas was passed over by the United States men's national basketball team (popularly known as the Dream Team). The United States men's national basketball team is the representative for the United States of America in international men's Basketball. The United States men's national basketball team is the representative for the United States of America in international men's Basketball. 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. The Utah Jazz is a professional Basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. John Houston Stockton (born March 26 1962 is a retired American professional Basketball player ( NBA) who spent his entire career ( 1984 &ndash An angered Thomas complained publicly, and later vented his frustration by having a high-scoring game against Stockton. The next game they played, on December 14, 1991, Karl Malone elbowed Thomas in the head as he drove to the basket. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Karl Anthony Malone (born July 24 1963 is a retired American professional Basketball player Thomas needed 40 stitches above his eye to close the wound. Malone was fined and suspended for the incident.
Sexual harassment lawsuit
On October, 2006, Thomas and Madison Square Garden were sued for sexual harassment and retaliation by Anucha Browne Sanders. October events and holidays Children's Book Week ( England) - First Week of October National Day ( China People's Republic Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four Arenas in New York City. Anucha Browne Sanders is an American former women's Basketball player collegiate star at Northwestern University, former executive for the New York [10] The matter came to trial in September of 2007 and Thomas was determined to have made demeaning statements to Sanders, as well as making sexual advances and repeatedly telling her that he was in love with her. Madison Square Garden was ordered to pay Browne Sanders $11. 6 million, one of the largest sexual harassment judgments in history. [11]
"I'm innocent, I'm very innocent, and I did not do the things she has accused me in this courtroom of doing. " Thomas said after the decision, "I'm extremely disappointed that the jury did not see the facts in this case. " Thomas admitted under oath that he did in fact call Sanders a "bitch". Thomas also deemed it appropriate to exchange hugs and kisses with co-workers in his testimony.
Allegations of Racism
Isiah Thomas has been accused of making racist or racial remarks. In his sexual harassment trial Anucha Browne-Sanders testified that Thomas had told her, he did not care about these "[expletive] white people" or these "[expletive] season ticket holders. " Thomas did deny these allegations. [12]
After a heated 1987 playoff game against the Boston Celtics, Isiah Thomas made headlines for agreeing to a statement made by teammate Dennis Rodman, who said that Larry Bird was overrated because he was white in a league full of mostly black players. The Boston Celtics are an American professional Basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, playing in the Atlantic Division of the Dennis Keith Rodman (born May 13 1961 is a retired American professional Basketball National Basketball Association (NBA player of the Detroit Pistons Larry Joe Bird (born December 7 1956 is a retired American NBA Basketball player widely considered as one of the best players of all time and one of the top In response, Isiah said, "I think Larry is a very, very good basketball player. He's an exceptional talent, but I have to agree with Rodman. If he were black, he'd be just another good guy. "[13]
Career NBA statistics[14]
- 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
Coaching record
| Team | Year | Regular Season | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | PCT | Finish | Result | ||
| IND | 2000-01 | 82 | 41 | 41 | . The 2000–01 NBA season was the 55th season of the National Basketball Association. 500 | 4th in Central | Lost in First Round |
| IND | 2001-02 | 82 | 42 | 40 | . The 2001–02 NBA season was the 56th season of the National Basketball Association. 512 | 4th in Central | Lost in First Round |
| IND | 2002-03 | 82 | 48 | 34 | . The 2002–03 NBA season was the 57th season of the National Basketball Association. 585 | 2nd in Central | Lost in First Round |
| NYK | 2006-07 | 82 | 33 | 49 | . The 2006–07 NBA season was the 61st season of the National Basketball Association. 402 | 4th in Atlantic | Missed Playoffs |
| NYK | 2007-08 | 82 | 23 | 59 | . The 2007–08 NBA season was the 62nd season of the National Basketball Association. 280 | 5th in Atlantic | Missed Playoffs |
| Career | 410 | 187 | 223 | . 456 | |||
References
- ^ CBA Museum, Isiah Thomas Years
- ^ "Melo apologizes; Isiah reportedly under investigation", ESPN.com, 2006-12-20. ESPNcom is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 69 - Vespasian, formerly a general under Nero, enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor. Accessed 2007-10-03. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 42 BC - First Battle of Philippi: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's "Though Thomas acknowledged telling Anthony not to go into the paint, he said Monday he meant it not as a threat but as a lecture on sportsmanship".
- ^ "Suspensions total 47 games from Knicks-Nuggets fight", Espn.com, 2006-12-20. ESPNcom is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 69 - Vespasian, formerly a general under Nero, enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor. Accessed 2007-10-03
- ^ "Thomas shows 'evident progress'; earns new deal", Espn.com, 2007-03-07. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 42 BC - First Battle of Philippi: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's ESPNcom is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 161 - Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius dies and is succeeded by co-Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus Accessed 2007-10-03. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 42 BC - First Battle of Philippi: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's
- ^ Isiah Thomas predicts a title
- ^ Isiah Thomas fired as coach of New York. He was fired on april 18, 2008 Knicks, Associated Press, April 18, 2008. The Associated Press ( AP) is an American News agency. The AP is a Cooperative owned by its contributing Newspapers radio
- ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3358377
- ^ Wolff, Alexander. "Look of a Winner", Sports Illustrated, accessed 2007-10-03. Sports Illustrated is an American Sports Magazine owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 42 BC - First Battle of Philippi: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's "There was the famous freeze-out at the '85 All-Star Game, at which Isiah Thomas led a movement of several veterans to keep the ball out of the hands of their uppity rookie teammate. "
- ^ Albom, Mitch. "Why is Isiah leaving Detroit - Part 2", Detroit Free Press, accessed 2008-04-30. The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily Newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule "I don't know how something like that gets started. . . what you're telling me is that I came in the locker room that had Larry Bird, Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Michael Ray Richardson and whoever else was on that team, and I said, 'Hey, Bird, hey, Doc' -- and I'm a young guy myself -- 'hey, let's not give Jordan the ball. ' Do you know how stupid that sounds? Do you know how ludicrous that sounds?"
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/sports/AP-BKN-Knicks-Thomas-Harassment-Suit.html
- ^ http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,316381,00.html
- ^ http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/ny-nymsg0912,0,6439863.story
- ^ http://www.slate.com/id/2132097/
- ^ Isiah Thomas Career Stats. NBA Encyclopedia. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Retrieved on 2007-11-04. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1333 - Flood of the Arno River, causing massive damage in Florence as recorded by the Florentine chronicler Giovanni Villani
External links
- nba.com historical playerfile
- Isiah Thomas Statistics at Basketball-Reference. com
- Isiah Thomas Player Profile (InterBasket)
- Hoopedia bio
- Isiah Thomas Career Stats
- Isiah Thomas Historical Profile on NBA.com
- Quotes by Isiah Thomas
| 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 Position Created | Toronto Raptors General Manager 1995–1998 | Succeeded by Glen Grunwald |
| Preceded by Larry Bird | Indiana Pacers Head Coach 2000–2003 | Succeeded by Rick Carlisle |
| Preceded by Scott Layden | New York Knicks Team President 2003–2008 | Succeeded by Donnie Walsh |
| Preceded by Larry Brown | New York Knicks Head Coach 2006–2008 | Succeeded by Mike D'Antoni |
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