Isiah Thomas

Isiah Thomas was born Isiah Lord Thomas III on April 30, 1961 in Chicago, Illinois. He is best known for playing point guard for the NBA's Detroit Pistons, where he spent his entire career from the 1981-82 season through the 1993-94 campaign. He played collegiate basketball at Indiana University under legendary coach Bob Knight before being chosen with the second overall selection in the 1981 NBA Draft after leaving school early.http://www.nba.com/history/players/thomas_stats.html

During his tenure in the NBA, Thomas led the Pistons to back to back NBA titles in 1989 and 1990. Thomas was part of the "Bad Boys" Pistons years, that featured Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman, Joe Dumars and Vinnie Johnson, known as "The Microwave" for his ability to get hot and score points in a short period of time off the bench.

Thomas was an All First Team NBA selection in 1984, 1985 and 1986. He also played in a dozen All Star Games, winning MVP honors in them in 1984 and 1986 and was named NBA Finals MVP in 1990. He also was a member of the 1980 Olympic men's basketball team that, like all United States athletes, boycotted the Olympic Games in Moscow that year. He was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history in 1996 and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.http://www.nba.com/history/players/thomas_bio.htmlhttp://www.nba.com/history/players/thomas_summary.html214

After retiring, Thomas became part owner and Executive Vice President for the expansion Toronto Raptors in 1994. In 1998, he left the organization after a dispute with new management over the franchise's direction and his future responsibilities. During his four-year tenure with the team, the Raptors drafted Damon Stoudamire, Marcus Camby, and high schooler Tracy McGrady.

Thomas also went on to be a commentator for the NBA on NBC, working with Bob Costas on NBA telecasts. He would be the owner of the Continental Basketball Association or CBA from 1998 to 2000 before the league folded in 2001 when NBA Commissioner David Stern launched the NBDL now known as the D-League.http://www.cbamuseum.com/cbaisiah.html

Thomas has had two stints as a head coach in the NBA, a three year run with the Indiana Pacers in which he couldn't get his team past the first round of the playoffs, and a disastrous two year run with the New York Knicks, which led to him getting fired after posting a mark of 56-108.

In April of 2009, Thomas accepted the job as the head coach at Florida International University. Thomas signed a five year contract and said he would donate his first year's salary back to the school, stating that "he wasn't here for the money."http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/11629553 In February 2010, it was stated that the Los Angeles Clippers had reached out to Thomas as a potential candidate to be coach and general manager of the franchise, but nothing materialized out of that. Florida International went 7-25 in Thomas' first season as head coach.http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/Los-Angeles-Clippers-Isiah-Thomas-020510

Thomas' best performance in his career may very well have been in a losing effort. In Game 6 of the 1988 NBA Finals, Thomas continued to play despite a severely sprained ankle. The Pistons led the series over the Los Angeles Lakers three games to two, and were attempting to close the series out and win the championship.

Thomas continued to play despite not being able to put weight on the ankle and set a Finals record for most points in a quarter when he tallied 25 in the third quarter of the contest.http://www.nba.com/history/finals/greatest_finals_performances.html He would finish with 43 points and eight assists in the game, but a questionable foul call on Bill Laimbeer in the dying seconds gave Kareem Abdul-Jabbar two free throws. Jabbar sank them both, and gave the Lakers a 103-102 victory, knotting the series at three games apiece.

The Lakers would withstand a furious fourth quarter rally in Game Seven to win 108-105 and repeat as NBA champions.http://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1988_finals.html

Thomas reportedly overdosed on sleeping pills on October 23, 2008, but was rushed to the hospital and was "fine."Sporting News: Isiah Thomas Reportedly Overdoses on Pills Thomas later denied the reports, saying that his daughter Lauren was the one at the home in need of medical attention.Associated Press: Isiah Thomas Denies he Was Accidental OD Victim

On October 28, 2008, new details were released regarding the overdose at the home of Isiah Thomas. According to the police report, a man was passed out on the floor of his home and police gave the person oxygen until an ambulance arrived. Police have not labeled the incident a suicide attempt because the victim did not have a history of depression and there was no suicide note.ESPN.com: Police provide new details in Thomas' overdose episode

• Points: 18,822
• Assists: 9,061
• Steals: 1,861

• Indiana Pacers 2000-01: 41-41
• Indiana Pacers 2001-02: 42-40
• Indiana Pacers 2002-03: 48-34
• New York Knicks 2006-07: 33-49
• New York Knicks 2007-08: 23-59
• Overall: 187-223