Isiah Thomas

At 63 years old, Isiah Thomas has this physical status:

Isiah Lord Thomas III (born April 30, 1961) is an American former basketball player who competed for the Detroit Pistons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

The 12-time NBA All-Star was named one of the Best Players in NBA History and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a point guard.

Thomas has worked as both a basketball player and collegiate head coach, as well as a broadcaster. Thomas competed for the Indiana Hoosiers, leading them to the 1981 NCAA championship as a freshman and declaring for the NBA draft.

He was drafted second overall pick by the Pistons in 1981 and spent his entire career with the "Bad Boys" to the 1988–89 and 1989–90 NBA championships. He was an executive, head coach of the Indiana Pacers, and head coach for the New York Knicks during his playing career.

He served as the Florida International University (FIU) Golden Panthers' men's basketball coach from 2009 to 2012.

Thomas was named president and part owner of the New York Liberty in early May 2015, despite the fact that Bill Laimbeer's former Pistons colleague Terry Boyer was re-hiring him as the team's coach.

Early life

Thomas, the youngest of nine children, was born in Chicago, Illinois, on April 30, 1961, and grew up in the city's West Side. He started playing basketball at the age of three and would dribble and shoot baskets as the halftime entertainment at Catholic Youth Organisation games.

He attended Our Lady of Sorrows School and St. Joseph High School in Westchester, which was a 90-minute walk from his house. He coached St. Joseph in his junior year and was regarded as one of the country's best college prospects by coach Gene Pingatore.

Education

Thomas earned his Master's in Education from the University of Indiana University during the Pistons' offseasons and earned his Master's in Education from the University of Berkeley in 2013. Thomas studied at UC Berkeley, specifically how American culture makes education available (or inaccessible) to black male college athletes.

Personal life

Lord Thomas III, the grandson of Isiah II and Mary Thomas, the youngest of seven boys and two girls. The father of Isiah was wounded in the Battle of Saipan and was wounded in the Army. He later attended trade school and became Chicago's first black supervisor. When the plant closed, the only job he could find was as a janitor and the family was in danger, and Isiah II left when Isiah was a young child. Thomas grew up in the West Side ghetto in Chicago. He lived with his mother after his parents' divorce. Mary, a Baptist, converted the family's Catholicism (and Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church and School).

Thomas was a basketball prodigy from the age of three and was taught by his older brothers, some of whom were outstanding players in their own right. Although most coaches in the Chicago area deemed him too young to have a big effect on a basketball program, Thomas' brothers urged St. Joseph High School's Gene Pingatore to arrange a sports scholarship for Isiah.

While Thomas was both attending Indiana University, Lynn Kendall, the daughter of a Secret Service agent and a nurse, met his future wife in the early 1980s. In 1985, the two married at Our Lady of Sorrows.

Thomas obtained a bachelor's degree from Indiana University. In 1987, the first thing that stood out was a computer. Joshua and Laurence were born in 1988 and 1991, and they had a son Joshua and Lauren. Thomas has a third son from a former liaison, Marc Dones, who was born in 1986.

Thomas founded Isiah International LLC, a real estate investment trusts firm that also has Thomas as Chairman and CEO. Its five businesses include: Isiah Real Estate, a development company specializing in commercial real estate; TAND Properties, a property management company; and GRE3N Waste Removal; Thomas, a Thomas, also co-owns RE3 Recycling, along with his daughter Lauren Thomas.

Thomas was implicated in gambling investigations that were not described in the 1997 book Money Players.

Jenni Dones, a woman from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, filed a paternity lawsuit against Thomas two months before his marriage to Lynn Kendall in 1985, arguing she was pregnant after having had a three- or four-month "intimate, ongoing, loving relationship" with him. Marc E. T. Dones' child was born in 1986. Thomas decided to pay an amount of $100,000 to Marc Dones at the age of 18, ending with a long-running court conflict. Dones had been able to get more financial assistance for her child and their college education in a 1995 lawsuit filed by Dones. Marc Dones has been dubbed "a natural writer and poet" by the literary website thedetroiter.com. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the King County (WA) Regional Homelessness Authority.

Anucha Browne Sanders, a former female executive with the New York Knicks, filed a labor and discrimination lawsuit against The Madison Square Garden Company, alleging that Thomas sexually assaulted her in the workplace and that she had been fired in retaliation for reporting the harassment. The lawsuit was settled for $11.5 million.

Thomas was admitted to White Plains Hospital Center in New York City, after mistakenly taking an overdose of Lunesta, a type of sleep aid.

Thomas explained in an interview with ESPN that he was so worried about his hospitalization because he was worried about his family at the time.

Source

College career

Thomas was recruited to play college basketball for Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers. Though Knight tied up his players and defeated them in mail, he did not believe the rumors. Knight, one of Isiah's brothers, humiliated him by insulting the Indiana coach and engaging him in a shouting match. Thomas's mother, however, opted for Knight and Indiana because she felt that moving her son away from Bloomington would be beneficial to him, as well as Knight and Indiana's discipline.

Thomas was compelled to adapt to Knight's disciplinarian style straight away. Knight became so ill at Thomas that he threatened to bring him home on a plane. "You should go to DePaul, Isiah, because you sure as hell aren't going to be an Indiana player playing like that," Knight said. Knight became so angry with Thomas that he kicked him out of a game early in his freshman year, the 1979-80 season. Knight was making a remark that no one, no matter how talented, is more important than Knight's philosophy, according to Thomas.

Thomas soon demonstrated his talent as a player and became a favorite among Knight and Indiana fans. Knight's superior abilities eventually led him to change his coaching style. Fans of the Book of Isaiah ("And a little boy will lead them") and they branded him "Mr. Isaiah." It's amazing." Thomas will be referred to as "Pee Wee" because of his relatively short stature in college basketball at 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m). The Hoosiers were led by Thomas and Mike Woodson to the Big Ten Championship and the 1980 Sweet Sixteen.

Thomas captain Thomas was promoted to the show on the floor for the next year in the 1980–81 season. Thomas responded so well that, as the season progressed, Knight and Thomas grew as friends. Knight called a press conference to protect his actor after a Purdue player took a cheap shot at Thomas during a game in Bloomington. Knight refused to criticize him 19 days later after Thomas struck an Iowa player and was banned from a match.

Thomas and the Hoosiers won a conference title and the 1981 NCAA tournament, the school's fourth national championship. The sophomore received the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award and made himself eligible for the forthcoming NBA draft.

Professional career

The Detroit Pistons selected Thomas with the second overall pick and negotiated him to a four-year, $1.6 million contract in 1981. Thomas made the All-Rookie Team in the 1982 NBA All-Star Game and made the Eastern Conference team.

Thomas and the Pistons faced Bernard King and the New York Knicks in the first round of the 1984 NBA playoffs. Thomas scored 16 points in 94 seconds to force overtime, but the Knicks won, and Thomas won.

Thomas and his staff advanced to the NBA semifinals against the Boston Celtics, 15-time NBA champions, led by future Hall of Famers Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson in 1985. Detroit would not beat the Celtics in their six-game series, with the Celtics losing.

Thomas and the Pistons were able to make the Eastern Conference Finals in 1987 and meet the Celtics for the second time. It was the furthest the team had advanced since moving from Fort Wayne. Detroit and the Celtics were tied at two games apiece, but Larry Bird's hopes of winning Game 5 at Boston Garden were shattered: Thomas tried to get the ball into the game-winning layup but Dennis Johnson was denied by just seconds remaining: Thomas Johnson tried to quickly inbound the ball, but Bird stole the ball and hit Dennis Johnson for the game-winning layup.

The Pistons finally defeated the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1988, defeating them in the first finals in 32 years, led by Magic Johnson, James Worthy, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Thomas and Johnson exchanged a courtside kiss on the cheek prior to tip-off as a sign of their deep friendship. Detroit appeared to be on a collision course in Los Angeles as the city's 3–2 series lead was thrown back, but the team was about to win their first NBA title in Game 6.

In Game 6, one of Thomas' most inspiring and self-defining moments came. Though Thomas had sprained his ankle early in the game, he kept playing. Thomas was hobbling and in apparent pain in the third quarter, an NBA Finals record. Following a tumultuous foul called on Bill Laimbeer, the Lakers won the game 103–102 on two last-minute free throws by Abdul-Jabbar. With Thomas unable to perform at 100%, the Lakers were able to profit and clinch their second straight title in Game 7, 108-104.

Thomas led his team to a 63–19 record in 1988–89, as a result of teammates Joe Dumars, Rick Mahorn, Vinnie Johnson, Dennis Rodman, John Salley, Bill Laimbeer, and Mark Aguirre. Detroit became a brash and dominant brand of basketball in the playoffs, earning the nickname "Bad Boys" in the nickname. They defeated Boston first, who had been suffering from chronic injuries. The Pistons used the Jordan Rules to reduce Jordan's impact after being down 2–1 against Michael Jordan and the up-and-coming Chicago Bulls in the Conference Finals, which allowed them to beat the Bulls in six games and advance to the finals for the first time ever, setting up a NBA Finals rematch with the Lakers. The Pistons dominated this season, defeating the Lakers in four games to win their first of back-to-back championships.

Thomas and the Pistons enjoyed another strong run in 1989-1990. For the second year in a row, the Minnesota natives were the top seed for the second year in a row. Thomas and the Pistons faced the Bulls in a tough seven game match series after sweeping the Pacers and defeating the Knicks in five games. Fortunately, the Pistons won and advanced to their third straight finals. The Pistons emerged champions by defeating the Portland Trail Blazers, Clyde Drexler's. After averaging 27.6 points, 7.0 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game, Thomas was named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player of the 1990 NBA Finals.

The 1990–91 season was a struggle, with Thomas playing 49 games in the regular season due to a wrist injury. The Pistons will win 50 games. Despite progressing to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Bulls were no match for the more mature and tenacious Bulls who swept the two time defending champions. Thomas and the majority of his teammates walked off the court in the final 7.9 seconds of Game 4 without shaking any of the Bulls' hands.

In 1992, the Pistons made it to the playoffs, but the New York Knicks defeated them in five games in the first round. The Pistons won just 40 games in 1993, missing the playoffs for the first time since the 1982–83 season. On April 19, 1994, an ageing and ailing Thomas tore his Achilles tendon, causing him to retire a month later.

National team career

Thomas was selected to the 1980 Olympic team, but he was unable to participate in Moscow due to the Olympics boycott. The boycotting countries then competed in the "Gold Medal Series," a string of games against NBA teams, a French squad, and the 1976 Olympic gold medal team in various U.S. cities, a 5–1 record (losing only to the Seattle SuperSonics). Thomas fired 22–55 from the field and 14–17 from the line. With 37 assists (the next highest number on the team was 17) and an average of 9.7 points per game, he led the United States in assists with 37 (the next highest total on the team was 17.7) and averaged 9.7 points per game. Thomas was one of 461 Congressional Gold Medals awarded especially for the spurned athletes in 2007.

Despite his talent, Thomas was left off the original Olympic Dream Team, possibly as a result of a suspected rivalry with Michael Jordan. Magic Johnson's book When the Game Was Ours reveals that he, Jordan, and other players conspired to keep Thomas off the Dream Team.

Thomas was drafted to Dream Team II for the 1994 World Championship of Basketball, but he did not play due to his Achilles tendon injury that ultimately led to his suspension. Kevin Johnson had to be recalled.

Post-playing career

Isiah Thomas, founder and CEO of Isiah International LLC, a holding company with a diverse mix of industry ventures and investments. Three of the key businesses in the Isiah International family of companies are Gre3n Waste Removal, Re3 Recycling, and Eleven Capital Group.

Thomas is also involved in real estate projects in Chicago and the immediate regions as the owner of Isiah Real Estate. Thomas said he is investing in struggling areas and reinvesting: "I'm hoping to be a catalyst for change in those areas, to bring the population back to those communities and be a catalyst to make a difference." The Illinois Medical District Commission is also invested in a $300 million renovation contract for a mixed-use complex. Isiah Real Estate and Higgins Development Partners, Thomas Samuels Enterprises, and East Lake Management & Development collaborated to develop 9.5 acres (3.8 ha) of land that will include retail space, a hotel, apartments, and parking lots.

Thomas's career began with the Pistons, and his managerial experience began with him. Thomas invested in a number of ventures through his private investment firm out of Michigan, Isiah Investments, LLC, planning for life after the NBA. Thomas' primary investment was a massive chain of printing franchises, American Speedy Printing Centers Inc., who led the company out of bankruptcy and into profitability, making it one of the country's largest printing franchises.

He was also one of the founding members of Marquis Jet Partners' advisory board, as well as a Dale and Thomas Popcorn partner.

Thomas became the first African American elected to the Board of Governors of the Chicago Stock Exchange in April 1999. He served until 2002.

Thomas speaks regularly to students and professionals around the country about his company experiences.

Thomas has been the CEO and Executive Chairman of One World Products, a cannabis firm headquartered in the United States, with cultivation and processing facilities in Colombia.

Thomas became a part owner and executive vice president of the Toronto Raptors in 1994, after retiring. After a dispute with new management over the franchise's direction and future responsibilities, he departed the company in 1998. During his four-year tenure with the team, Damon Stoudamire, Marcus Camby, and high schooler Tracy McGrady were drafted by the Raptors.

Thomas began working with the Raptors and then as the lead game analyst with play-by-play specialist Bob Costas and then as part of the studio team) for the NBA on NBC. He also worked in a three-man booth with Costas and Doug Collins.

Thomas was the president of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) from 1998 to 2000. In 1999, he founded Enlighten Sports Inc, a full-service web design firm specializing in sports marketing.

Thomas began working with Enlighten Sports, the University of Colorado, and the CBA as a member of the Continental Basketball Association. Fans could now watch live game webcasts, use live shot charts, chat with players, and more. Thomas said the internet was "and an integral part of [the CBA's] effort to produce engaging and entertaining content for fans." Thomas also established a partnership with SEASONTICKET.com to provide personalized video highlights and scores to fans around the country, as well as a portal for All-Star League voting. Thomas predicted that streaming video would be the future of news and entertainment.

Thomas founded a business in 1998 that sold online gift certificates and other i-commerce items to customers, retailers, and corporations. Isiah.com has also worked with the NBA store.

Thomas bought the CBA for $10 million, but the league was forced into bankruptcy and folded in 2001, shortly after NBA Commissioner David Stern decided to create his own development team, the NBDL, to replace the CBA.

Thomas coached the Indiana Pacers from 2000 to 2003, succeeding Larry Bird, who previously coached the Pacers to the Eastern Conference championship. Thomas attempted to bring up young talents like Jermaine O'Neal, Jamaal Tinsley, Al Harrington, and Jeff Foster. However, the Pacers were unable to perform at the highest level under Thomas, as they went from a veteran-dominated, playoff-experienced squad to a younger, less experienced team. The Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Nets eliminated the team in the first round of the NBA's first two seasons, with Thomas and the New Jersey Nets eventually losing in the first round.

Thomas coached the Eastern Conference team at the 2003 NBA All-Star Game for the fourth year in his first year with the Pacers. The Pacers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the sixth-seeded Boston Celtics, who were in third seed. Jermaine O'Neal, Brad Miller, Ron Artest, Al Harrington, and Jamaal Tinsley's experience as the Pacers' stumbling block was apparent as a result of Thomas' lack of coaching experience. Bird, the Pacers' President of Basketball Operations, returned to the Pacers in the off-season, and his first move was to trade Thomas with Rick Carlisle.

Thomas, the New York Knicks' President of Basketball Operations, was hired as President of Basketball Operations on December 22, 2003. Thomas was ultimately unprofitable with the Knicks' roster and fanbase. The Knicks had the highest payroll in the league and the second-worst record at the end of the 2005–06 season. In a trade for Eddy Curry, which included what turned out to be two lottery picks in talent-rich drafts, Lamarcus Aldridge and Joakim Noah, he gave up several future draft picks to Chicago.

Larry Brown, the Knicks' assistant, and owner James Dolan were fired on June 22, 2006, but Thomas was sent with Thomas on the condition that he make "evident progress" or be fired.

The Knicks became embroiled in a brawl with the Denver Nuggets that Thomas allegedly sparked a brawl during the season by asking his players to commit a hard foul in the paint. He was not fined or suspended; NBA Commissioner David Stern said he only relied on "definitive information" when deciding on punishments. Thomas re-signed Thomas to an undisclosed "multi-year" deal nine months after Dolan had requested "evident progress." The Knicks abruptly fell from playoff contention with a dismal finish to the season after Thomas was granted the contract.

Thomas made another trade in the 2007 NBA draft, acquiring Zach Randolph, Fred Jones, and Dan Dickau from the Portland Trail Blazers for Steve Francis and Channing Frye.

Thomas also contributed to the Knicks' salary cap by moving fringe players such as Jerome James and Jared Jeffries to full-time exception contracts. Neither player had any playing time, and both players were often injured and ineffective when it came to playing.

Despite continued criticism he had received from Knicks fans, Thomas said he had no intention of leaving the team behind and that he would lead the Knicks to a championship, despite the fact that he had been chastised for the Detroit Pistons. This prediction was met with widespread mistrust.

Donnie Walsh was brought on to help Thomas Thomas as President of Basketball Operations for the Knicks on April 2, 2008. Walsh did not comment on whether Thomas would be retained in any capacity.

Thomas was told he would not return as the Knicks head coach one night after the Knicks tied a franchise record of 59 losses and ended their season last season. "After a season of listless and dreadful basketball, a tawdry lawsuit, and unending chanting from fans demanding his dismissal," he was officially "reassigned" on April 18. As the Knicks' head coach, Thomas had a winning percentage of.341, the lowest in team history. Thomas was supposed to act as a consultant to the team as part of the reassignment deal, but he was forbidden from speaking with Knicks players on the basis that he might undermine the new head coach.

Thomas accepted the FIU's head basketball coach on April 14, 2009, replacing Sergio Rouco after five losing seasons. Thomas said he would donate his first year's salary to the school "I did not come here for the money."

Thomas, who set a 7-25 record in his first season at FIU, announced on August 6, 2010 that he would work as a consultant to the New York Knicks while keeping his position as head coach at FIU. "nearly every major media outlet panned the news of Thomas' hire," according to the New York Daily News, "unfortunately every major media outlet condemned the proposal," causing a "public outcry" among fans. Thomas reversal on August 11, Thomas announced that he would not be working with the Knicks because doing both jobs in a reversal of NBA bylaws.

Thomas played for an 11-19 record (5–11 in conference games) in his second season at FIU. After going 26–65 in three seasons, FIU fired Thomas on April 6, 2012. FIU never won more than 11 games in a season under Thomas.

Thomas will begin working on December 19, 2012, as a member of the studio analyst panel, as a member of the NBA television team. Thomas would also be a regular contributor for NBA.com, according to the site.

Thomas, the WNBA New York Liberty, was hired as Team President on May 5, 2015, and in charge of all of the franchise's sales and basketball operations.

The Liberty and the WNBA decided to suspend consideration of Thomas's ownership request on June 22, 2015. He is still president of the team.

The Liberty finished first in the Eastern Conference under Thomas' leadership as team president and former Pistons teammate Bill Laimbeer as head coach.

Thomas revealed in 2016 that he was the exclusive United States importer of the Cheurlin Champagne brand through ISIAH Imports, a subsidiary of ISIAH International, LLC. Cheurlin Champagne made its debut in the United States at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Former President Bill Clinton's private luncheon was among other activations. Cheurlin made his appearance at The Palace of Auburn Hills for the last season of the Detroit Pistons. Cheurlin has two champagne categories: Cheurlin's Brut Speciale and Rose de Saignee and Cheurlin Thomas' "Celebrite" Blanc de Noir and "Le Champion" Blanc de Noir, respectively. Thomas introduced his Cheurlin Flagship Collection collection of Champagnes to the Bellagio in Las Vegas in August 2017.

Thomas has been a regular panelist on NBA on TNT's Monday coverage of Players Only, which uses only former NBA analysts, play-by-play announcers, and color analysts for games.

Source