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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'' //. He was also referred to by the Nickname s ''Zeke'', ''Cuts'' (for the numerous cuts over his eyelids) and ''Baby-face Assassin''. 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 Assist s. 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 points per game, 7.0 assists per game, and 5.2 rebounds per game 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. In 1992, Thomas was passed over by the US Olympic Basketball Team (popularly known as the (5), Larry Bird (3), and Michael Jordan (2). Some feel he was snubbed by the team because Michael Jordan did not want Thomas on the same team as him due to their bitter rivalry in several playoff battles, or possibly because Jordan harbored ill will against Thomas due being passed over himself at the 1985 NBA All-Star Game , for which he felt Thomas was responsible. 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 , 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. 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. 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, including 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 couple of years previously. In addition, Thomas has been accused of trading for players that are widely viewed as both overpriced and difficult to work with. Thomas continues to attempt to remake the Knicks roster, but so far without success and seemingly without any regard to the team's chemistry. It should be mentioned that the Knicks' draft choices appear to be promising. However, at the end of the 2005-2006 season, the Knicks have the highest payroll in the NBA, yet have earned the second-worst record in the NBA, and have traded away several future draft picks. The Knicks' repeated failures and their questionable personnel decisions have made Thomas a lightning rod for criticism. 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. For all his accomplishments, Thomas is considered to be two-faced and dishonest by some former players and fans for orchestrating the trade of Adrian Dantley during the Pistons championship run. Thomas didn't like Dantley because he became the Piston's leading scorer as soon as he came to the team. Thomas, who was close to the owner of the team, wasn't used to sharing the scoring limelight. Most analysts agree that Thomas had Dantley traded to the Dallas Mavericks for another small forward, and long time friend of Thomas', Mark Aguirre, in the middle of the season that the Pistons won the championship. The deal, as insiders tell it, was that Aguirre was to continue his prolific scoring, just as long as he didn't outscore Thomas. SEXUAL HARASSMENT LAWSUIT On January 24 , 2006, Thomas and Madison Square Garden were sued for Sexual Harassment and retaliation by Anucha Browne Sanders . {Link without Title} Thomas is alleged to have made numerous sexist and demeaning statements to Sanders as well as making sexual advances and repeatedly telling her that he was in love with her. The lawsuit also alleges that Thomas told 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 the night before 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 two separate press conferences to deny that he had ever harassed Sanders. However, since the lawsuit became public, several other employees and former employees have come forward with similar lawsuits, and some in the public are questioning the Knicks organization's stand on sexual harassment and discrimination. CAREER HIGHLIGHTS One of Thomas's best-known and most defining performances came in Game 6 of the 1988 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. Although he had badly sprained his ankle in the game, Thomas continued to play. Hobbling and in obvious pain, Isiah was still able to score 25 points in a single quarter of that contest, setting 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. Fans of the Boston Celtics also remember him for his inbound pass that was stolen by Larry Bird in the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals that decided the game and ultimately the series in favor of the Celtics. Thomas was ranked #17 in '' SLAM Magazine '''s Top 75 NBA Players of all time in 2003. Lifetime stats
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