Apparently, 3Mills had a scheduling conflict (and he's not a HOF'er, what a crime!)

I hope Joe is smart enough to not let Zeke hold his HOF plaque or they'll be sweeping pieces off the stage.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2548460


Thomas to present Dumars for Hall enshrinement
ESPN.com news services

Joe Dumars turned to a friend and former Detroit Pistons backcourt teammate to help enshrine him in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, the Detroit Free Press reported Sunday.

Isiah Thomas will present Dumars when the Pistons president is enshrined on Sept. 8-9 in Springfield, Mass. Only members of the Hall of Fame may present new members; Thomas, who won NBA titles with Dumars in 1989 and 1990, joined the Hall in 2000.

Dumars learned in May he would be part of a enshrinement class including Charles Barkley, Dominique Wilkins, University of Connecticut women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma, former Big East commissioner David Gavitt and Italian National Team coach Sandro Gamba.

But Dumars had other things going on -- the playoffs, the NBA draft, free agency and the summer leagues -- and didn't consider who would present him until recently.

"I didn't really think about it at all until August," he told the newspaper.


Also, no Hall of Fame is complete without Sandro Gamba.

I'd just assumed it would be Chuck Daly, but Isiah will do a fine job of it.

Will there be a kiss?

hey, quit ragging on Zeke. He didn't ask him to handle his trades. just his speech. i like this and i hope i can catch the ceremony. those two were great to watch play together and i still love Zeke the PG. Zeke the GM is an abomination though. Zeke the coach isn't that bad as advertised IMO.

Isiah's GM-ing abilities continue to make JD look good.

What's wrong with that?

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/5873026


Despite all the criticism hurled at the New York Knicks and the decision-making of president/coach Isiah Thomas over the years, Detroit Pistons president Joe Dumars last week announced he wanted Thomas to make his induction speech when he enters the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

What this really means: Once again, Dumars is proving to be one of the brightest and classiest guys in sport. There never really was much grumbling when the two were backcourt mates in the 1980's and '90's with the World Champion Pistons. But people were constantly looking for it. Although Thomas was also more outgoing and tended to be politically incorrect at inopportune times, Dumars was always right on the path — cleaning up whatever mess was made.

Incredibly enough, nearly 20 years later, here he is again for his buddy. Thomas, mired in a harassment suit with a former Knicks employee, along with the mess that was the hiring and firing of coach Larry Brown after the Knicks' abysmal 23-59 record last season, he needed support from somebody among the NBA elite. And he got it from Dumars — who continues to grow toward one day being worthy of any job he would like in the NBA, perhaps even commissioner. :eek: Some people have to be taught the difference between right and wrong. Dumars instinctively knows the right thing to do every circumstance.

Okay, I think we could have a little fun with that last sentence, for sure.

It'd be fun to write it in English.

Barkley, 'Nique... and Dumars?

List the top 50 ballers of all time, Sir Charles is in, and Wilkins might be on the outside edge of that list, but not Joe D. Maybe top 100, but not close to Top 50.

I smell $$$$$$$.

The backcourt yin and yang

Apparently, 3Mills had a scheduling conflict (and he's not a HOF'er, what a crime!)


I'm sure he's in the Romulus hall of fame.

Isiah headed for hot seat Tuesday night at MSG

By Chris Sheridan
ESPN.com

Updated: November 19, 2007

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Isiah Thomas said the last time he spoke with Knicks owner James Dolan was Saturday, although it was not clear if that discussion came before or after New York's humiliating 32-point loss to the Denver Nuggets.

"We said hello," said Thomas, the Knicks coach and president, after practice Monday before abruptly breaking off his interview with reporters and ducking out the door.

Chances are that Dolan and Thomas will speak again at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday after the Knicks are finished playing the Golden State Warriors, and the question on everyone's minds -- especially if the Knicks drop another game to extend their losing streak to seven -- will be whether Thomas is finished with his nearly four-year tour at the helm of the Knicks.

"No," Thomas replied matter-of-factly when asked if he was worried about his job security less than 30 games after he was given a long-term extension by Dolan late last season.

In the 28 games since that extension was announced, Thomas is 6-22.

"It's very strong," Jamal Crawford said of the level of support for Thomas among the players. "He brought all of us in, and we're all very loyal to him."

Said Eddy Curry: "I haven't talked to anybody individually in a 'What do you think of Isiah?' type of thing. So I'm still in the same place -- trying to win a game. It's still early, but the media's going crazy, which is making us go crazy. You just have to block everything out and get one game."

The comments of Curry and Crawford after practice Monday were noteworthy because they, along with Stephon Marbury, were called out by Thomas and told to exert themselves better on defense during the plane ride to Phoenix a week ago that set off this latest firestorm. Neither Crawford nor Curry responded as Marbury did, going AWOL on the team for a day. Both Crawford and Curry were reportedly among the majority of players who voted against allowing Marbury to play the next night in Los Angeles, where Thomas decided to reject his players' calls to bench the guard and instead used him for 33 minutes. Curry said the team has not yet had -- nor has scheduled -- a players-only meeting to discuss the root of the issues that have put their coach's job in jeopardy so early in the season.

Marbury has continued to come off the bench since then behind the ineffective Mardy Collins, and if he's coming off the bench again Tuesday night against Golden State (Thomas said "we'll see") he'll likely be the one -- and not Thomas -- who will bear the brunt of the fans' frustrations. This will be the Knicks' fans first chance in more than a week to weigh in with their collective opinion on where the team stands.

On the eve of training camp when Dolan and Thomas were found liable for sexually harassing a former team executive, Madison Square Garden insiders insisted that the trial would have zero effect on Thomas' job status, though they cautioned that if the basketball side of the equation was shaping up as another losing proposition, anything was possible.

Well, here we are on the verge of the 10th game of the season, and a loss Tuesday would drop the Knicks' record to 2-8. The Knicks fly after the game to Detroit for a game Wednesday against the Pistons, and logic dictates that it's questionable whether Dolan even allows Thomas to make it aboard the airplane if the Knicks get blown out in their own building and the Dolan Slumpfactor (how far Dolan slumps down in his courtside seat) edges toward double digits on a scale of 1-10.

Of course, Dolan may prefer to wait an extra day -- especially if another hammering happens Wednesday night in Auburn Hills, in what may be Isiah's last moments on an NBA court.

So if we are indeed in the twilight of the Thomas era, which by all appearances is at hand, we should take a look at what may lie ahead.

For the interim, the easiest thing for Dolan to do would be to hand the coaching duties over to Herb Williams, and Glen Grunwald is already the one doing most of the heavy lifting in the front office. All eyes would then turn to Los Angeles, where Phil Jackson has said he plans to decide soon on whether to accept a two-year extension to remain with the Lakers.

If Jackson declines it, and if the Knicks are trounced in their next two games, and if Thomas is fired …

Well, that's a lot of ifs. And if the Knicks begin to turn things around Tuesday, all this is moot. But if things go poorly at the Garden, it ain't gonna be a pretty Tuesday night. The thin ice that Isiah's already skating on will crack a little further, and it then becomes a question of when exactly he'll fall through.

So we could actually be the ones to FINISH HIM

The New York papers are also speculating that Donnie Walsh could be named the new President of the Knicks after the season, and that it's possible that he'd bring in WTF favorite, Rick Carlisle, to coach the Knicks.

Weird, I actually think it's a good thing for him they're playing the Pistons.

The New York papers are also speculating that Donnie Walsh could be named the new President of the Knicks after the season, and that it's possible that he'd bring in WTF favorite, Rick Carlisle, to coach the Knicks.

Good pick. He never overpays his guys.

Who better to save the Knicks than the guys that destroyed the Pacers?

Let the Dolanoscopy begin!

Gay. I'd really like to see the Marbury-Isiah drama go on for the rest of the season. Must see TV.

Funny...out of all the Bad Boys, the one who really had the red carpet of success rolled out for him was the most transparently incompetent of them all. It's tragic. Not tragic like a plane crash, but tragic like Hamlet.

Donnie Walsh and Rick Carlisle? Could a team go from mediocre and the laughingstock of the league to vastly overrated in so short a span of time?

Yes, if they got KG and Ray Allen.

I stand corrected.

It was well played.

I think Carlisle would be a great coach for them for 2-3 years if:

- Marbury is cut
- Eddie Curry is cut
- Zack Randolph is cut
- Michael Curry is signed and starts

We all know Carlisle gets the most out of little talent but hard workers for 2 years. It's the third year that everything goes south.

Rick Carlisle should just rehab teams and do nothing else.

If Isiah gets canned, what about Tom Izzo as a replacement?

^In the olden days (about 3 months ago, back to a time when Sparties roamed WTF) I would have just sat back and waited for the response to that one.

How is Tom Izzo going to coach the New York Knicks and the Michigan Wolverines at the same time?

The Knicks position is a telecommuting job.

^In the olden days (about 3 months ago, back to a time when Sparties roamed WTF)

Now that I drove Balkan off the board we're down to how many now, 1? 2?

http://images.jupiterimages.com/common/detail/21/39/22183921.jpg

"Fire Isiah" chants in the Garden last night.

Here is some key expert analysis.


Marbury, Thomas share blame for mess

http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/sp/cn/headshots/smith_hdsht.jpg
By Kenny Smith, Yahoo! Sports
November 19, 2007

When Stephon Marbury goes AWOL and leaves the New York Knicks after believing he's going to be benched for an inferior player, he's dead wrong.

If he wasn't granted permission to leave, he's dead wrong.

If he was even told by his coach in a heated argument that "he can leave," he is dead wrong.

If reports are correct and he threatened to unload a tell-all of team dirt, he's dead wrong. (Though it's also very funny.)

So, to summarize: There really isn't a circumstance where you can leave your team because of personal discontent. If you do, you lose the one thing that your teammates hold sacred – trust.

If your point is to prove that you deserve more playing time – or to prove you don't deserve to be demoted – you can do that only by playing hard and keeping your mouth shut.

If the reports are accurate, Stephon Marbury overreacted to something that has happened to not only him, but also the best players in this league. Even Michael Jordan came off the bench when he first returned to the Washington Wizards.

So where does this leave the Knicks? In a very precarious position.

Since returning to the team, Marbury has been a model citizen. He has said and done the right things. But Marbury also has forced the Knicks to make the next move. His improved behavior, along with the Knicks' everything-stays-in-house policy, has led some to side with Marbury or think there's a conspiracy against the point guard.

After all, why wouldn't you publicly reprimand your player? Just say you didn't give him permission and announce he's being fined, and the matter is over with.

Why would you take Marbury out the lineup after five games when it's apparent to most that Mardy Collins and Nate Robinson are nowhere close to his talent level? Why would you take him out the lineup when Zach Randolph has missed games because of family matters?

And why would you bench him in Phoenix, of all places? Isn't this where Marbury was exiled from? You had to know there would be extra sensitivity.

And no matter what you say, Marbury is the face of the franchise. When you demote him, it tells everyone that he is to blame for the teams' problems.

So now who's dead wrong?

I feel like this is about the millionth time I've said this, and I don't think I'm at my mental best today, but someone help me out with what Kenny is trying to say here.

Is he saying that Isiah is to blame? Or is he saying Marbury is at fault? Kenny Smith has a singular genius for taking a valid point and mangling it into a bunch of indecipherable Scrabble.

I feel like this is about the millionth time I've said this, and I don't think I'm at my mental best today, but someone help me out with what Kenny is trying to say here.

Is he saying that Isiah is to blame? Or is he saying Marbury is at fault? Kenny Smith has a singular genius for taking a valid point and mangling it into a bunch of indecipherable Scrabble.
Swami, I don't even read it anymore when his articles are posted here. It just makes me confused on many levels.

Kenny Smith columns have the secret of life, the Da Vinci Code, and a schematic for a perpetual motion device in there, but no one knows it because no one can decipher them shits.

Kenny is talking out of his ass and one buttcheek contradicts the other.

Its that uncertainty of why

Anybody else just see Stephen A and Skip Bayless debating this on the Budweiser Hot Seat?

It was nice.

Anybody else just see Stephen A and Skip Bayless debating this on the Budweiser Hot Seat?

It was nice.
I did watch that. Then at the very end SAS just started insulting Skip and Skip said "That's how I know I got him"

Both are morons, but I'd take Skip over Stephen A. any day. At least Skip is kind've funny when he acts like a complete tool.

SAS ripped on Skip's "awful, ugly shirt".

SAS has style.

Skip has frosted tips.

Two words: Quite Frankly.

Nice edit.

No, he's not from Philly, he's from NY

HOWEVAH

This thread is about the disaster that is Isiah Thomas, not Skip Bayless or SAS

You're right.

How long until "Fire Isiah" becomes as big as "Fire Millen"?
stephenastillsucks
saykarlmalonesucksandyouwilldie

Thomas says it's not time to blow up Knicks and start over
ESPN.com news services

Updated: November 23, 2007, 3:56 PM ET

Isiah Thomas says he doesn't expect to be fired as coach and general manager of the struggling New York Knicks, based on his conversations with his boss, Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan.

"I don't foresee there being any changes this year," Thomas said Friday when asked about his discussions with ownership and his job security, Newsday reported.

"I just don't think this is the time to panic after 11 games in the season," Thomas said, according to the newspaper.

The Knicks are 2-9 and last in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. New York hosts Chicago on Saturday.

Thomas said he understands why Knicks fans, who have been booing the team at home for its lackluster play, are frustrated. But he added that now is "not the time to just blow everything up" and start over, according to Newsday.

"When you get frustrated, the first thing you think of doing is making changes, but this isn't the time to make changes. Believe me, when that time comes, I'll be the first to say it. But this is not the time," Thomas said, according to the report. "I've seen and been through a lot of situations in this NBA. This isn't the time to abandon ship and make changes. We'll get through this."

But according to the report, Thomas declined to go into the details of this latest conversation with Dolan, who has remained silent in the face of widespread speculation about Thomas' future.

"Mr. Dolan and my conversations will always be private," Thomas said, according to Newsday. "We talk regularly and we understand the situation we're in and we understand what we have to do. It's a long season and you just have to keep plugging away and keep battling and keep fighting. That's what we're prepared to do."

i give zeke less than 10% chance of having a job tomorrow.

no joke, the only thing keeping boston from beating the knicks by a hundred is sympathy. if boston wanted it, i'd believe they could set quite a few modern day nba records.

Just wow. I almost feel sympathy for the Knicks.

Almost.

The Celtics underperformed.

BWAHAHAHAHA... fuckuknicks!

104-59

Millen vs. Isiah.

Winner takes all.

glen davis had the most minutes for the celtics too while the big 3 all logged under 30. if flip was coaching this team im sure ray, pp, and kg wouldve played +35

Another hilarious headline courtesy of Yay Basketball!:
Knicks Lose A Close One (http://www.yaysports.com/nba/2007/11/knicks_lose_a_close_one.html)

richardson nailed a half courter at the buzzer to put the knicks over their alltime lowest total. had celtics not let the clock expire never would have happened. moral of the story? always go for the jugular.

THE KNICKS DENIED KG A DOUBLE-DOUBLE!!!! OMG THEY SO FUCKING ROCK!!!!

From the postgame:


The problem with the Washington Generals is: the Harlem Globetrotters are just too good.

I found that game strangley entertaining last night, only because of the Knicks demise. I laughed every time the lead went up.

The worst part is they sucked that bad against and it wasn't a great defensive team. The Celtics are playing solid defense, but the Knicks take futility to a new level.

aaaaaahaaaaahahahahahaha

NDB4hnFjJ-I

oh, ps, fuck knick fans. zeke was their lord and savior, they LOVED the moves he made, and now he sucks.

I HATE HATE HATE that they are regarded as the best fans in the league. they are TERRIBLE.

zeke is not, nor ever was, the savior. but he hasnt done a terrible job building this team.

their bench is actually among the best.

their starters have among the best talent in the league.

the next gm needs to choose one of eddy curry and zach randolph. probably needs to get rid of atleast one of starbury and jaME crawford. probably both, actually. but the cubbard is far from bare. he did a bad job building a team because he overestimated his own ability (believe he recognized how selfish the guys he brought in were). probably doesnt deserve the fate he gets, but ultimately his team has blatantly given up on him and the powers that be. but no one is winning w/ his starters. i think a quick fix could quickly improve the knicks' lot, though.

he didnt do a bad job gm'ing (not a great job either) concidering was he was left to work with, which was old, mediocre talent with HUGE contracts. he could have let them all expire but thats not a real option in NY.

Who regards Knicks fans as the best in the league?

Who regards Knicks fans as the best in the league?

Other Knicks fans.

Such BS, everyone knows Celtics fans are.

I confess that I like http://www.knickerblogger.net/stats/ for some Hollinger statistics (especially RR) for the current year.

Note that Rasheed Wallace had a worse loss, and his Portland team still made the playoffs:

http://www.basketballreference.com/teams/boxscore.htm?yr=1997&b=19980227&tm=IND

http://www.aolcdn.com/aolnews_photos/09/04/20071219153809990002

Looks better organized than the Millen man march.

These are Nooo Yowakas!

Isiah>LeBron, at least last night...


Oh, it appears that the NY Post tried to spin what I'm sure was a relatively innocent interview with Chuck Daly into a hit job on Isiah Thomas. Either that, or Daly is paving the way for Isiah to save face when he's shitcanned:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/12202007/sports/knicks/daly__zeke_should_get_off_bench_821569.htm

December 20, 2007 -- Hall of Fame coach Chuck Daly, who won two championships in De troit with Isiah Thomas as his point guard, said he be lieves the Knicks have quit on their coach, and its time he should leave the bench.

"Maybe its time for him to move up stairs," Daly told The Post. Thomas is in a dual role as coach/ president.

"I don't understand what's going on with their mentality," Daly added from his home in Jupiter, Fla. before the Knicks tried for one night in a 108-90 victory over the Cavaliers at the Garden. "A lot of places, they don't like the coach, but they go out and compete. It's one thing to get beat by 6, 8, 10 points. But to get beat by 25 means you're kind of quitting. I'd be upset if I was Isiah, too."

Thomas said Tuesday that if he can't right the mess in a couple of weeks, it would be fair to ask whether he deserves to fired. He said yesterday he would not recommend to owner James Dolan that he be replaced as coach if he can't reach the team in the next few weeks.

"I've had some good teams and bad teams, coached all over the place - Orlando, New Jersey, Detroit, Denver," Daly said. "All the teams I've ever had, they've come to the arena and tried to compete. I don't know what's with that team."

Daly then indicted Thomas for creating this roster.

"It's a strange mix of personalities and talent," Daly said. "On paper, it looks like it could compete for the Eastern playoffs. Something's wrong in the desire to do that."

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/2008/01/02/2008-01-02_isiah_thomas_not_so_sweet_on_eddy_curry_.html?r ef=rss


There are said to be several Knicks who wouldn't mind a change of scenery, including Stephon Marbury, David Lee, Malik Rose, Zach Randolph, Jamal Crawford, Nate Robinson, Quentin Richardson, Jared Jeffries, Renaldo Balkman, Patrick Ewing, and Curry. The Kings are reportedly considering deals for Mike Bibby, Chris Webber, Richard Hamilton, Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace, and Ron Artest, who has said he would like to return home and play with the Knicks.

Tuesday, Thomas ruled out making a deal between now and the February deadline. Of course, Thomas has made a habit of denying working on incompetent moves right up until he makes them.

"I really don't foresee that," he said. "I don't see us being effective around the trade deadline, or any other deadline. This is the time when you're down and you can make mistakes that can cost you years. And everything that you've worked for the last three, four years that can set you back another three years. We've got a young group, we've got good players, and we've got good talent. We've just got to get them to play together, play the right way."

So Wilson Chandler, Marty Collins, and Jerome James are happy to be Knicks?

How are the Kings considering deals for players that aren't on their roster? Is Dumars farming out some of his GM responsibilities? I'm considering deals for Kobe Bryant and Baron Davis. I'll be letting them know what I decide by the weekend.

fool, that's not in the article. Try clicking the link.


You should know better than that by now.

http://www.abhilash.us/wp-content/uploads/2006/03/whammy.gif

So Wilson Chandler, Marty Collins, and Jerome James are happy to be Knicks?
That was THE thought that caused me to spoof the news. They had a laundry list of players, and I was thinking that the whole fucking team wasn't on there. I figured that someone would clue in that it was a spoof by the time they got to Patrick Ewing, but I didn't want it to be TOO obvious and that's the only reason I didn't list 1-15 on the roster. :)


How are the Kings considering deals for players that aren't on their roster? Is Dumars farming out some of his GM responsibilities? I'm considering deals for Kobe Bryant and Baron Davis. I'll be letting them know what I decide by the weekend.
You're well on your way toward being a GM in New York, at least in the mind of the news media. Please overpay me.

As well as Patrick Ewing wanting to get off the Knicks roster, lol.

There are rumblings that indicate that we are finally getting closer.

Would you really bench your starting center and powerforward to your division rivals?

What could Zach Randolph do for the Pistons?

If it weren't for that contract...

An intelligent owner would fire everyone and blow the team up. They have some expiring deals they can trade for picks. Curry could be movable. They're stuck with Marbury and Randolph. They pretty much need to buy Marbury out, then try to build around Randolph, Lee, Robinson. Move James, Crawford, Rose, Curry, and expiring deals to ANYONE who will take them for ANYTHING they offer. There would be SO much addition by subtraction.

Of course, this all started with flawed logic, because I said "an intelligent owner".

I'd actually rather build around Jamal Crawford, Zbo and David lee. Find these guys a legit point guard and center. Keep nate as your 6th man and balkman or whatever for their version of maxiell or turiaf.

I wouldn't touch randolph,no matter how talented he is. he seems to have attitude problems and has his pride in front of his game.

Randolph had actually been doing ok away from Portland, until Isiah started fucking with him for not being everybody's everything. I love seeing Knicks weenies bitch about Randolph's D, when Curry and the guards are fucking welcome mats out there.

Despite Monday's defiant remarks that he has no plans to leave the Knick bench, the New York Post is reporting that Isiah Thomas actually vented in a conversation to a friend a day later that he is indeed considering stepping away from coaching to concentrate on the team presidency, according to a source.

In Thomas' conversation with his friend, according to the source, Thomas named only three players whom he likes - David Lee, Nate Robinson, and Jamal Crawford.

What could Zach Randolph do for the Pistons?

If it weren't for that contract...


Zach Randolph a Piston!!!!!!

In his postgame autopsy, Isiah Thomas noted that the Celtics' savvy was the difference. Then someone asked about the two teams' different approach to rebuilding.

"S---, they've got Kevin Garnett," Thomas said, laughing. "Their record was ours last year at this time. That's a Celtic trade."

He could have said, "That's a Celtic trait," since Boston has a long, rich tradition of fleecing opponents at the trading table.

"I have to wait for (Joe) Dumars," Thomas said, referring to the Pistons' GM.

But Dumars doesn't have a difference-maker on the block, and even if he did, he's much too smart to send him here, the way Kevin McHale gift-wrapped Garnett to former teammate Danny Ainge.

The way things are playing out in Boston, the Celtics will be retiring McHale's No. 32 a second time.

Last name basis.

Every time I see them mentioned in any article together, I realize just how lucky we are that Isaiah somewhat burned his bridge here and we ended up with Joe as our main man.

Last name basis.
That's why Isiah was the one to induct him into the HOF. :)

Good call.

Apparently Dolan is talking to Kiki V. about taking over for Isiah as team President, but Isiah would stay on as coach.

I THINK THAT MIGHT WORK.

Apparently Dolan is talking to Kiki V. about taking over for Isiah as team President, but Isiah would stay on as coach.

I THINK THAT MIGHT WORK.

As long as they keep Isiah on in some capacity. I would hate to lose the entertainment of watching Zeke Ghost Ride the Knicks.

As long as they keep Isiah on in some capacity. I would hate to lose the entertainment of watching Zeke Ghost Ride the Knicks.
GHOSTRIDE THE KNICKS!!!!!!!!
I LAUGHED OUT LOUD!!!!!!!!!!!

Thomas tried to con Knicks more than coach them
By Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports
2 hours, 31 minutes ago

NEW YORK – Isiah Thomas never did stop the relentless mythology of himself as the street fighter out of Chicago’s Westside. Through every indignity, he insisted that he was fighting for his job, his legacy, for a ticker-tape parade he still promised until the bitter end. Somewhere between delusion and delirium, the architect of a crumbled regime had never sounded so detached of reality.

Before his final night at Madison Square Garden, Thomas was still speaking of championship days with the New York Knicks and jabbed his finger toward the visiting locker room and declared of the Boston Celtics, “One day, that’s someone we want to be.”

He spoke of his love for the New York fans, and how they have flocked back to the arena to watch his Knicks, and all this great young talent that’ll someday see true his vision of Garden glory. The Knicks rewarded one more Garden sellout with complementary concessions Monday night, confining the “Fire Isiah” chants to modest decibels with mouths stuffed with so much free food.

“I want to be part of the parade,” Thomas declared.

The only parade Isiah is getting will be over to LaGuardia Airport and out of town for good. The fans’ anger and angst of January and February had subsided to resignation here. Before the loss to the Celtics, New York had Uncle Junior of The Sopranos singing the national anthem and Big Pussy in a celebrity courtside seat. For this hit job, there was no drama. Donnie Walsh, raised in the Bronx, has come home and everyone knows that Isiah’s getting whacked.

“As Denzel (Washington) told me,” Isiah said, “ ‘You’re going to get the Bronx cheer.’ If this is the bottom, with a sold-out house tonight, in the last game, then New York is a great town.

“And in a strange kind of way I’m honored to get the Bronx cheer. Because everybody gets it. If this is the worst, this ain’t bad.”

This is his way of saying that he made it out of New York alive, false bravado until he’s out the door. The final con job of Thomas’ disastrous run as Knicks president and coach has been that he wants to keep his job. Thomas is still getting the remainder of his $24 million contract extension. He’s done nothing to earn his pay but everything to protect future payments. The Knicks are 23-58 on the season now. Larry Brown will be rooting hard Wednesday night that Isiah doesn’t end up with one more victory than he did as Knicks coach two years ago.

Until Sunday, when Walsh happened to be in the gym, the Knicks hadn’t had a legitimate practice in a month. Shootarounds seldom lasted more than 15 or 20 minutes on gameday mornings. So much opportunity to develop the Knicks young players went to waste.

To the bitter end, Thomas was still selling. For a time, Dolan was the last man in New York buying it. Finally, Thomas lost him, too. These days, Thomas sounds like an old politician on the house floor, talking to an empty chamber just so his words will be recorded for the history books.

“We went from an aging older team to a young team with a lot of future,” he said. “A lot of possibilities here. When we first got here, there weren’t any. … Now the Knicks definitely have a bright future.”

This is the kind of garbage that people in New York stopped listening to months ago. They treat him like the crazy man they pass on the street corners here. He keeps talking gibberish and they just keep moving past him.

Had they seen Isiah fighting, backing his empty words with deeds, maybe it would’ve been a little different. Yet it wasn’t 10 games into the season when his players privately told people that they could see his heart wasn’t in it, that he was barely trying to coach them. Everyone could see it. Most nights, he never climbed to his feet. He never coached. Lately, opposing scouts came to the Garden and declared the Knicks the hardest team in the league with which to file reports back to their teams.

“They haven’t run any plays in over a month,” one NBA scout said.

Said another scout, “In all of my years, I’ve never seen anything like it. If (Thomas) is trying to get fired, he’s doing a good job of it.”

The loss of the sexual harassment suit to Anucha Browne Sanders destroyed Thomas with the Knicks. Through training camp, he moped. He felt sorry for himself. He played the victim. He climbed into a shell and these Knicks never had a chance. Beyond the disastrous four years with the Knicks, including a 56-107 record as coach these past two seasons, the sexual harassment suit and depositions that showed a Garden run amok promise to make him a toxic hire anywhere else in the NBA.

Within the league, Thomas was already unpopular and loosely trusted. His days in a high-profile executive or coaching job are over. He’s made too much money and has too immense of an ego to ever see himself taking a low-level scouting position. He’ll probably go back to Detroit, where he’s still beloved as a Piston great, and be Isiah Thomas. He’ll get a chance to return to television, but the analysts’ chair won’t be able to rehab his broken basketball image.

Yes, the “Fire Isiah” chants started in the final moments Monday night but died down in New York. This dysfunctional basketball franchise has tired everyone out. They just want it over, just want him gone for good. He coaches his final game Wednesday night, in Indiana, where Walsh and Thomas were united as GM and coach all those years ago.

Just a month ago, in one more Knicks loss, Pacers fans watched him sitting listlessly and started riding him. “Hey Isiah,” one was heard to growl, “why don’t you coach your team!”

One more night for the empty suit on the Knicks bench, one more indignity on the job, and Isiah Thomas was closer to that parade everyone else has dreamed for so long in New York. Just him, just a one-man cavalcade out of town.

Awesome.

DONE


Thomas out as Knicks coach but will remain with organization
ESPN.com

Updated: April 18, 2008, 5:16 PM ET

Now that the New York Knicks' miserable season is finally over, so is Isiah Thomas' tenure as their coach. Now the overhaul can begin.
New Knicks president Donnie Walsh began his remodeling of the franchise Friday by announcing that Thomas has been removed as coach but would remain with the organization.

"He will have no official title, but he will provide meaningful input," Walsh said during a conference call. "Isiah remaining a part of the franchise is important for the organization."

Walsh replaced Thomas as team president April 2 but wanted to wait until the season was over before making a decision on the coach. The Knicks finished their 23-59 season Wednesday, matching the franchise record for losses

Letting Zeke remain with the organization is the worst management decision since Leonidas let that humpback spartan tag along with his army.

Walsh should find the nearest well and give Isiah the boot.

NY media flipping out at Walsh, claiming that this proves that he doesn't hold the power as he/Dolan claimed.

Michael Kay went on a rampage on Walsh on his radio show, it was awesome.

"Isiah Thomas is toxic, you've fired him twice in two weeks, and now you want to keep him around? Give him access to the players?" (paraphrase)

I love this ESPN.com headline, too:


Done Deal: Isiah 'Sidelined' By Knicks

Letting Zeke remain with the organization is the worst management decision since Leonidas let that humpback spartan tag along with his army.

Walsh should find the nearest well and give Isiah the boot.

this made me laugh.

What kind of blackmail must Isiah has over the Knicks?

What kind of blackmail must Isiah have over the Knicks?
Fixed.

What kind of blackmail Isiah must have over the Knicks!
Fixed times two.
(this was the sentiment I was actually going for until word salad took over)

I seriously want to know what the hell is going on in New York...


Former New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas has been banned from having any contact with members of the team as part of his reassignment agreement with team president Donnie Walsh, the New York Daily News reported, citing a team source.

Walsh, who replaced Thomas as the Knicks' president, fired him as coach last week after Thomas went 56-108 as coach, including this season's 23-59 disaster, the franchise's seventh straight losing season. He has been reassigned as an advisor to the team.

According to the report, there is concern that Thomas, if allowed to have any contact with the team, could either willingly or unwillingly undermine its new coach. Thomas acquired all the players on the current Knicks roster as team president.

But the agreement does not prohibit Thomas from speaking to Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan, according to the report.

Thomas does not have an official title. He reports directly to Walsh, who said no player brought up Thomas' name during last week's exit meetings Thursday.

Walsh said he wants a new coach in place by the draft in June, when the Knicks will finally have their lottery pick again after handing over their last two to Chicago in the Eddy Curry trade. Mark Jackson has been portrayed as the front-runner to succeed Thomas.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.


Just fire him! What are they so afraid of???

I read that the Bulls want to talk to Mark Jackson now.

This could get even more interesting.

I love it!

You still work here, but don't talk to any of the players ... or the women ... Well, how about you only talk to me.

http://fartfly.com/bring-out-the-gimp.jpg

Oh Isiah.

Damn, I was hoping Isiah would be playing the role of snitch.

I wonder if they are trying to get him to quit so they don't have to pay him?

This latest public "leak" (orchestrated?) that he won't be allowed to have any contact with the players seems very odd, like they are trying to eat at him little by little until he can't stand it any longer.

I wonder if they've been negotiating a settlement/buyout?

I wonder if they are trying to get him to quit so they don't have to pay him?

This latest public "leak" (orchestrated?) that he won't be allowed to have any contact with the players seems very odd, like they are trying to eat at him little by little until he can't stand it any longer.

I wonder if they've been negotiating a settlement/buyout?
Right, but they can't be like "part of your new job includes shining Marbury's shoes (in total silence)" or else he'll have a court case. They're basically trying to make his job so humiliating (but not obviously so) that he'll have to quit to save face.

I know he did a terrible job at running the Knicks, but that's a pretty raw deal to give to one of the NBA's greatest ever. I hope he comes out of this OK.

Trying to embarrass him the way that he embarrassed them has sort of a poetic justice bent to it, though.

I'm pretty sure it's Dolan that ruined the franchise. Isiah was just the instrument.

That's like blaming the gun in a murder case.

You can blame Dolan for giving Isiah a job in the first place, blame him for giving him complete control with an unlimited budget and blame him for not firing him sooner.

Lots of blame to go around, fo' sure.

The LB firing is starting to look really suspect, even by NY media's finest. LB needed at least a year to tear that situation apart before he could start building it back up, but Zeke feared that he was going to go down with LB if he didn't get rid of him, first.

I wonder how'd they be doing if they had kept LB, fired Zeke and hired a real GM?

I'm pretty sure it's Dolan that ruined the franchise. Isiah was just the instrument.

That's like blaming the gun in a murder case.
+1000. Isiah bears his share of responsibility for volunteering to be an instrument of a bad owner, but I definitely agree.

You want to know what's really sad? The Knicks actually have some talented players, but if any of them go on to actually have good careers I'll be pleasantly surprised.

I wonder how'd they be doing if they had kept LB, fired Zeke and hired a real GM?
They were saddled with Marbury, and Marbury hated LB.

They've probably bought out worse contracts.

If nothing else, it would have been addition by subtraction, even if they had to just waive him.

Having players "hate" you is all part of culture change and tearing shit up and starting over. They get spoiled and like it when they had it easy and nobody cared.

Waiving Starbury is something that needs to happen now, anyways.

Ambulance called to Isiah Thomas’ NY home
4 minutes ago

PURCHASE, N.Y. (AP)—Authorities say an ambulance was called to the suburban New York home of former New York Knicks basketball coach Isiah Thomas, and someone from the home was taken to a hospital.

Harrison Police Department Officer Vincent Lanzillotti says an ambulance responded to the 911 call early Friday. He declined to give any details, except to say a person was taken to White Plains Hospital.

WCBS Radio reported the call involved “an issue with sleeping pills.”

Barry Watkins, vice president of communications for Madison Square Garden, told The Journal News newspaper, “Isiah is fine.”

It's a good thing he survived. If he died he would have been nominated for an Academy Award, and Wil would have been livid.

Isiah Thomas rushed to hospital after sleeping pill overdose

BY MARK LELINWALLA AND RICH SCHAPIRO
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Updated Saturday, October 25th 2008, 1:27 AM

Disgraced ex-Knicks coach Isiah Thomas was rushed to a hospital Friday after overdosing on sleeping pills at his swank Westchester County mansion, sources said.

Thomas downed 10 Lunesta pills and had lost consciousness by the time emergency workers arrived about midnight at his $4 million home in Purchase, authorities said.

Harrison Police Chief David Hall would not confirm the victim - identified as a 47-year-old man - was Thomas, who is 47. Police sources told media outlets the victim was the former NBA great.

"He was unconscious, but breathing on his own," Hall said, noting that the overdose appeared to be accidental.

"Maybe the guy took a couple of pills, couldn't go to sleep, took a couple more, couldn't go to sleep - who knows?"

Two cops and an ambulance arrived at Thomas' mansion after a woman there called 911 from her cell phone, Hall said.

The victim was taken to White Plains Hospital Center, but Hall didn't know if he was admitted.

"He's fine," Thomas' son, Joshua, 20, told the Daily News.

Joshua Thomas, a student at Indiana University, claimed cops went to his family's home because his sister, Lauren, 18, who suffers from hypoglycemia, wasn't feeling well.

"Reports of sleeping pills are false," Joshua Thomas added. "He doesn't take sleeping pills. He doesn't really take anything that's not organic.

"He looked faint from stressing over her. They sat him down, let him drink some water. He's fine," the son said.

Joshua Thomas said last night his father and sister were still recuperating in an area hospital.

The Knicks released a statement saying Thomas is doing well.

"Isiah Thomas spoke with members of the New York Knicks organization and is OK," the statement read. "He is dealing with a family matter, and we will have no further comment."

Over the last five years, Thomas' reputation has gone from sterling to shredded. Named the Knicks team president in 2003, Thomas' squad never won more than 33 games during his four seasons with the struggling ballclub. In his two seasons as head coach, the Knicks' record was 56-108 and Thomas became an object of derision among fans.

His professional reputation sank further in 2006 when Anucha Browne Sanders, a recently fired team executive, filed a sexual harassment suit against Thomas and Madison Square Garden.

A Manhattan jury ruled in October 2007 that Thomas had sexually harassed Sanders - and ordered the Garden to pay her $11.6 million.

The Knicks fired Thomas last April, but he remains a consultant.

Several Knicks fans heading into the team's preseason game against the Nets last night showed little concern over the health of the team's failed former coach.

"It was a publicity stunt," said Gregory James, 45, of the upper West Side. "He wants sympathy so he can keep his job."

Larry Cunningham of Newark said Thomas likely became unstable after he guided the Knicks organization to failure. "He's feeling guilty," Cunningham said.

mlelinwalla@nydailynews.com

WTF?

You forgot to bold this line


"It was a publicity stunt," said Gregory James, 45, of the upper West Side. "He wants sympathy so he can keep his job."

This kind of shit is lame.

If he would've died, I could see him winning Coach of the year for the 07-08 season.

This guy is such a joke.


Isiah Thomas denies he was accidental OD victim

NEW YORK – Authorities were called to the home of former New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas, where police said a 47-year-old man was taken to the hospital and treated for an accidental overdose of sleeping pills early Friday morning.

Several local media outlets reported police confirmed it was Thomas who was taken to the hospital.

But reached on his cell phone, Thomas, who is 47, told the New York Post he had not been treated for a sleeping pill overdose, and that it was his 17-year-old daughter Lauren who had a medical issue.

It "wasn't an overdose," he told the newspaper. "My daughter is very down right now. None of us are OK."

Harrison Police Chief David Hall refuted Thomas' statement about his daughter to the New York Times on Friday night.

"I understand that this person claims it was his daughter; he is lying," Hall told the newspaper. "It was definitely not his daughter, it was a male. We know the difference between a 47-year-old black male and a young black female."

I guess I should have just bolded the whole thing.

Zeke has to know that he's full of it. Must be trying to keep this in the spotlight as long as possible.

I can't believe everyone's saying that Isiah Thomas is doing something dishonest. I've loved him since Detroit drafted him.

So...what's he been doing since then? I haven't been paying attention.

Didn't Isiah pass away in 1994?

I'd almost like to think he did...

I can't believe everyone's saying that Isiah Thomas is doing something dishonest. I've loved him since Detroit drafted him.

So...what's he been doing since then? I haven't been paying attention.
Wil?

Apparently Isiah is just an idiot. My buddy said he has talked to Isiah's son a couple of times, and his son didn't even seem that concerned. He's called Isiah to no avail, so it sounds like it was some sort of publicity stunt. I bet you it was something even more moronic than we can comprehend, like he had a bet with another guy to see how many sleeping pills he could take before he fell asleep.

Wilfredo has John McCain and I have Zeke. He can do no wrong in my eyes and I blame the police for having a liberal agenda against him.. :emo kid: :VOLCANO:

Tell me that this doesn't just look like someone photoshopped Isiah's face onto someone pretending to be his daughter.

http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2008/1025/nba_g_thomas01_200.jpg

Glenn leave Zeke alone if you know what's good for you. >:(

Isaiah just needs to get caught up in life!

Seriously, can't you just see Marbury and Isaiah's bodies found naked in the parking lot of a 7/11 or something as part of some twisted suicide pact? (I'm picturing that scene from Heathers....)

Thomas' next stop: FIU?

ESPN.com news services

Florida International is trying to hire former New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas as its next basketball coach, sources have told ESPN.com's Andy Katz.

A source with direct knowledge of the negotiations told ESPN.com on Monday night that the two parties are working on a deal and it could get done as early as Tuesday. Thomas just has to sign off on the final details.

The source said Thomas was intrigued by FIU's location in South Florida, its growing football program and its over 30,000 students. The source said Thomas was looking for a fresh place to start and that, despite other previous NBA and college opportunities, this is the one that finally piqued Thomas' interest. The source said negotiations are moving very quickly.

Florida International coach Sergio Rouco was fired Monday, and sources confirm that FIU athletic director Pete Garcia made calls within the conference recently to check on the viability of hiring Thomas. A source close to the situation said that if Garcia is unable to reach a deal with Thomas this week, he would likely pursue another coaching candidate to replace Rouco.

Among the other candidates on FIU's list: Former Miami Heat players Ed Pinckney and Tim Hardaway, both of whom continue to have strong ties to South Florida. Pinckney is an assistant coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves but still maintains a residence in the Miami area; Hardaway briefly coached the now-defunct Florida Pit Bulls of the American Basketball Association.

"I want to put my name in the hat, but I think Isiah Thomas is getting it," Hardaway told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "I know I can bring some good prospects in. I have a good eye for good talent, so I'm putting my name in to try."

One of those prospects Hardaway could have possibly brought in: His son, Tim Hardaway Jr., who is already a highly sought-after recruit by many Division I programs.

The Sun Belt has recently become a second-chance destination. Florida Atlantic hired former St. John's coach Mike Jarvis and Arkansas State hired former LSU coach John Brady.

Rich Kelch, a Florida International spokesperson, wouldn't confirm or deny the school's interest in Thomas (or any other coaching names) to replace Rouco, who was fired after five straight losing seasons, including a 13-20 campaign this season.

Rouco finished with a 55-94 record in five years at FIU, which hasn't finished with a winning record since going 16-14 in the 1999-2000 season.

"We feel that it is now time to move in a different direction," Garcia said Monday. "Sergio will remain in our organization in a different capacity and we look forward to continuing to work with him to further build the FIU program."

In recent years, the Golden Panthers and athletic director Pete Garcia lured Mario Cristobal away from Miami to take over their football program, landed noted college baseball recruiter Turtle Thomas as that program's coach, plus opened an on-campus football stadium and even has made inroads on hosting professional and international soccer matches.

And now, this could be the biggest get yet for FIU: Thomas, who helped the Detroit Pistons win a pair of NBA championships as a point guard, then had success as coach of the Indiana Pacers before things unraveled for him with the Knicks.

A year ago, the Knicks finished 23-59, prompting Thomas' firing. They never won a playoff game in his tenure as president or coach.

Thomas went 56-108 in New York and is 187-223 as an NBA coach, leading the Pacers to the playoffs in three straight years from 2000-03. Once he was hired to run the Knicks, he acquired Stephon Marbury from Phoenix, a move -- much like the one where he gave center Jerome James a $30 million contract -- that never panned out.

And there were off-the-court issues, too.

A jury found that Thomas and Madison Square Garden sexually harassed former team executive Anucha Browne Sanders and ordered the company to pay $11.6 million in damages. That, along with the losing, brought on a wave of "Fire Isiah!" chants that would typically start soon after tip-off at MSG.

Then this past October, Thomas found himself dealing with more drama. Officers responded to his New York-area home after a 911 call reporting an overdose on sleeping pills. According to police reports, those officers found a man passed out on the floor and gave him oxygen until an ambulance arrived.

Authorities never publicly identified Thomas as the victim, but a person familiar with the case later confirmed to the AP that it was the former NBA star.

Two weeks ago, ESPN.com reported that Thomas spoke with Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling about a job. Thomas has two years left on his contract with the Knicks, but has been granted permission to seek work elsewhere.

Knicks president Donnie Walsh was aware Monday night of FIU's interest in hiring Thomas, but the team couldn't specifically say what the status of the contract talks were.

A new beginning potentially awaits at FIU, which could clearly use a spark. The Golden Panthers have lost 20 games in three of the last four years, and haven't had a winning record since going 16-14 in the 1999-2000 season.

IBTGTDP

In before someone mentions his suicide attempt?

not quite, but close

PR stunt.

In Before This Gets To Dan Patrick

think: human tiki doll

In Before Thomas Goes To Detroit Pistons

Please God, no.

answer
In before they get the death penalty

Holy shit thats a long fall from Indiana Pacers to FIU

In before someone mentions his suicide attempt?

Eh? When did this go down?

I could see Isiah being a good recruiter of high school kids.

His problem has never been scouting talent. It's been about turning that talent into a cohesive team.

When you're dealing with the pros making millions of dollars how much do they really care if they play together and win?

They get paid if they go 0-82. Going 52-30 doesn't get them a pay rise (unless you count their playoff share)

College kids are not gonna look at him and see Zeke the great, 2 time NBA Champion. They're gonna see that dude who fucked the Knicks, the dude who sexually harrassed that chick, the dude who tried to kill himself.

He'd be better off just laying low for a little bit, then ask Joe for a job in the front office somewhere.

In saying that he's gonna have to rebuild his name somehow - if he fails at this he's done, so there's no pressure for The Great One.

I'm looking forward to seeing Isiah try. He's a charmer with a compelling high school rise-to-greatness story. I'm kinda surprised that any university would touch him after the sexual harassment stuff, but he proved long ago that he had more lives than a cat. My gut feeling is this will be a good move for him.

FIU pulls out Coaches vs. Cancer tourney due to change pitting them against UNC on Nov. 9. FIU wil return if Ohio State reinstated as foe.

lol

Source: Clippers eyeing Isiah as coach, GM

Jeff Goodman
FOXSports.com
Updated Feb 5, 2010 4:18 PM ET

NBA Hall of Famer and current men’s basketball coach at Florida International University Isiah Thomas has emerged as one of the candidates to run the Los Angeles Clippers.

According to a source close to the situation, the Clippers have reached out to Thomas -- who coached the Indiana Pacers and also the New York Knicks -- to take over coaching, general manager and president duties.

He would replace Mike Dunleavy, who was relieved of his coaching duties earlier this week but remains the general manager.

Thomas, 49, was hired this past April as the head coach at Florida International down in Miami.

He took over a downtrodden program that has endured nine consecutive losing seasons. FIU is 7-18 this season, but Thomas and his staff will add a talented recruiting class next fall that includes a Top 50 player.

Thomas was previously the owner of the CBA, head coach of the Pacers and also held the coach, GM and president positions with the New York Knicks.

A 12-time NBA All-Star in his 13-year NBA career with the Detroit Pistons, Thomas joined the Knicks as the president of basketball operations before taking over the head coaching job in 2006. He was 56-108 in two seasons before being fired in 2008.

The Los Angeles Clippers are 21-28 and in 12th place in the Western Conference. Top pick Blake Griffin has yet to play a game this season after suffering a season-ending knee injury.

No joke required.

the Clippers and Isiah are a match made in heaven!

LMAO - please make it so

If you get a chance, check out Adrian Wojnarowski's (sp?) twitter page. He posted a bunch of comments about this from front office people around the league. It's hilarious. I think it's on hoopshype too.

I'd bet even money that Isiah planted that Clippers rumor himself.

http://twitter.com/ramonashelburne/status/8695042537


Just checked with Clippers brass on the report about Isiah and got an ALL CAPS denial...

If you get a chance, check out Adrian Wojnarowski's (sp?) twitter page. He posted a bunch of comments about this from front office people around the league. It's hilarious. I think it's on hoopshype too.

Checked it out - funny stuff.

Wojo is a smart ass, so Aussie's will like his sense of humour.

I think he's the one with an article up on Yahoo about the pending CBA talks. In it he says the NBA sent a copy of the new CBA to the Union and it's basically a photocopy of Stern's middle finger.

I lol'd - I think he actually claims a Western Conference executive told him that!

Oh Isiah...

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/Isiah-Thomas-living-life-in-exile-shunned-by-NBA-032911

^ thats a pretty good article. Sums things up at this point in his life. But I wouldn't count him out. Dude was tough as nails in actual competition. He hasn't learned how to compete in the NBA afterlife though. Maybe he should start by not fucking up so much.

I do hope him and magic can bury the hatchet at some point. Fuck Bird.

Isiah being a coach/GM for the Clippers would actually work. He wasn't bad as a coach for Indiana, and I'm not sure if anyone could've done what he was asked to do in NY. Give him Blake Griffin to build around, warm weather and a little patience and I'd be surprised if he fucked it up. Too bad it's bullshit.

I'm a homer so I think Isiah gets more crap than he deserves, although he deserves a LOT. But, and all of this is my opinion obviously, I don't think he can be a good GM or coach. He's too ad hoc. He seems like a PG when he coaches and GMs; he reads the circumstances and makes decisions accordingly. That can be an important part of it. But those jobs require long-term vision, long term planning and sacrificing immediate goals every once in a while to continue on your long term path.

In Indiana (a better example of his coaching than NY IMO) he had his players confidence and did an all right job. But he didn't know where he wanted to get to by the playoffs. He played with lineups and tactics too much.

I think he has great knowledge and an eye for talent. And he really wants to do a good job IMO, he doesn't mail it in. But I don't know where he could do that, maybe in a consulting role; one that gives him input but not the final decision.

He made a string of horrible moves in NY, there's nobody else you can blame for them. Just look at the Larry Brown "era", he brings in LB and then brings in the most un-LB-like group of players anybody could possibly imagine. It made absolutely no sense and could only come from the mind of a madman.

Absolutely. No global vision. If you hire a certain coach it should be to fit a certain style and your long term goal is to get the right players for that style. That's the type of vision that he utterly lacks as GM or coach.

http://msn.foxsports.com/writer/Jason_Whitlock

Jason Whitlock is an r-tard.

Larry Brown finally got in his digs at Thomas yesterday, saying he disliked working for him and the former Knicks president never wanted to hire him.

Brown, who coached the Knicks during the 2005-06 season, said in a taping of Michael Kay's "CenterStage" show on YES that he dreads bumping into him.

"I don't have a relationship with him at all," said Brown, 70, who coached the Knicks to a 23-59 record before he was fired. "He gave me a chance. I appreciate that. I wouldn't consider him a friend. I don't look forward to seeing him. But I don't wish him bad."

Brown and Thomas warred during their one season together, but since parting ways, Brown resolutely declined to comment about him.

I didn't like working for him," Brown said yesterday. "People beat him up. I don't want to beat him up. I just didn't enjoy working for him. He thought what he did was right. I'm going to leave it at that."

Brown also said Thomas didn't want to hire him. Sources have suggested Thomas preferred Jackson, who snubbed the Knicks to rejoin the Lakers. Brown also said Michael Jordan, owner of the Bobcats, fired him and tried protecting him by announcing it a mutual decision.

The Post reported last week owner James Dolan no longer trusts Thomas enough to hire him in an official basketball capacity and has assured Knicks president Donnie Walsh of such. Walsh is finalizing a Knicks contract extension, likely for two years.

Brown and Walsh are longtime friends and Brown could be sticking it to Thomas for secretly lobbying for the Knicks presidency.

Brown still maintains a summer home in East Hampton and wants to make a return.

*

In more sordid remarks about Thomas, newly minted Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman said his former Detroit teammate offered him a roster spot on the Knicks seven years ago but reneged after Rodman made a raunchy appearance on "The View."

"Isiah can kiss my [butt]," Rodman told Howard Stern.

Rodman said when in New York, he appeared on "The View" and claimed for shock value he jokingly said to his overtalkative hosts, "Guess what, I'm gay as hell and just had sex with this guy . . . The next day [the Knicks] tore up that ticket and said we won't need you."


http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/jax_retirement_is_no_sure_thing_Swtj8ELIemgbJSXFSe 3hIN?CMP=OTC-rss&FEEDNAME=

@iamisiahthomas (http://twitter.com/iamisiahthomas)

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/play_of_the_zeke_NgFlatcdg5Vc76DKNuBNuK/0


How many of you would be startled to discover Isiah Thomas has been creepin’ round Billy Hunter’s back door to get his job?

The image of little Isiah defending big bad Suh just makes me laugh:

http://detnews.com/article/20111129/SPORTS0101/111290339/Bad-boy-Isiah-Thomas-defends-Suh?google_editors_picks=true

Some old forum post from the late 80s, I think, that I stumbled upon:


I recently watched three pistons games and I've decide one thing. The
worst loser in the league is the Isiah Thomas. I'd noticed this before, but
I didn't realise the little shit did it intentionally.
The moment he gets beaten on the drive he tries to step on your foot, or get
his leg underneath you so you trip over. Then he expects a travel call.
This is not only dangerous but unsportsmanlike. In one game Ricky Green
nearly impaled himself on the goal support and in another Scott Brooks
twisted his ankle(not badly fortunatly).
Those people who have a go at Bill are looking at the wrong person. There is
this guard who supposedly has the face of a cherub. You'll notice him, he's
the one telling the ref to call travel, and making a high pitched whining
noise. The little cry baby deserves what he gets. I'm suprised one of the
more highly strung players in the league hasn't belted him one. Then again
he leaves the scene of his crime to winge to the ref pretty quickly.....
Just as well the Pistons have Joe Dumars and Vinnie to bail them out from
the shits antics.
GGGGRrrrrrrrrrrrowwwwwwwwlllllllllll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the little shit

Here's another Pistons-related post.



Please draft 7-2 Center Olowokandi from Pacific

I really think the pistons should get this guy plus he can
: block shots. Please draft this guy please.

LOL!!

http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2012/04/ten_potential_fiu_coaches_wors.php

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/7972930/isiah-thomas-hoping-return-college-nba


"I definitely want to be in basketball again whether it be coaching or as a general manager," Thomas said by phone. "My gift is basketball.

Drew Sharp thinks Isiah should get an honorary gold medal by Team USA for snubbing him from the Dream Team.

Drew Sharp is on all kinds of crack.

Isiah Thomas watches the news coming out of the Pistons’ camp with great interest.

A color analyst for NBATV, Thomas still would like to be a part of the Pistons’ organization. If owner Tom Gores invited him to stab Joe Dumars in the back, the Hall of Famer would gladly accept.

“I love the Pistons, and I have and will always help them anyway I can,” Thomas said last week.

Though he hasn’t received any such phone call yet that he can discuss on the record, the Pistons have called in Phil Jackson as a consultant and reportedly have interviewed Nate McMillan, former Piston Lindsey Hunter and San Antonio Spurs top assistant Mike Budenholzer. Pacers assistant Brian Shaw likely will get an interview, along with perennial loser Chris Webber.

Thomas’ NBA coaching record is 187-223. His best season was 48-34 with the Indiana Pacers in 2002-03; his worst was 23-59 with the Knicks in 2007-08.

Thomas shared insights on the draft: “There are some guys who had to go the junior college route — because they weren’t eligible at the Division I level — who can really play,” he said. “They might be under the radar to the normal fan, but these guys can really play, especially if they get with the right European team.”
http://www.freep.com/article/20130506/SPORTS03/305060130/detroit-pistons-isiah-thomas

Ex-Detroit Pistons star Isiah Thomas regrets handshake snub vs. Chicago Bulls in 1991

http://www.freep.com/article/20131003/SPORTS03/310030169/

How the mighty have fallen...

Wow, fuckin Zeke looks kinda creepy. He's on the NBA Gametime on NBA network. Weird lookin dude these days. He was fairly amped about his boy. Proud poppy.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/lawrence-bumbling-pistons-turning-isiah-article-1.1707481


League sources say that Pistons owner Tom Gores is seriously thinking of making what has been a long-overdue, front-office shakeup after the season, with Thomas recently emerging as a top candidate to take over the role of the team’s top basketball executive from his former backcourt mate, Joe Dumars.

Should this really be more LOL@us?

That might be it for me.

Gores dies in fiery car wash accident

Of course, this could just be Isiah planting bullshit rumors to the New York media, assuming they didn't create the news themselves.

The guy is a self made billionaire and he's bought the Pistons and just gone stupid.

Report: DET considering Isiah Thomas for GM
Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores is reportedly considering hiring Isiah Thomas as General Manager.

Advice: Joe Dumars has been met with a lot of criticism over the years after handing out numerous bad contracts, and he is not likely to be the GM in Detroit for much longer. However, to hire a guy who as general manager of the New York Knicks, built loser after loser, pulverized the team's cap structure and exposed Madison Square Garden to an eight-digit sexual-harassment lawsuit would be a questionable decision at best. Stay tuned for more updates on this strange situation.

Rotoworld.com

then Laimbeer replaces Isiah.

#rotoworld.

Left that on there for you.



And Wilfredo.

And as this reporter had predicted, the Zen Master is now talking about Gores and Pistons.

So Phil talked Gores into letting Dumars make coaching decisions?
Normally, that'd be dumb, but if the owner's alternative involves Isiah as GM...

So Phil talked Gores into letting Dumars make coaching decisions?
Normally, that'd be dumb, but if the owner's alternative involves Isiah as GM...

Wait ...what? Are we talking about Isiah Thomas , Zeek, not the PG in Sactown, because I much rather have the PG in sactown as GM.

At least he hasn't proven to be totally inept.

John Salley should put in a application in.

Oh Isaiah!

More fellating of Joe:

http://www.freep.com/article/20140305/COL08/303050041/Drew-Sharp-Isiah-Thomas-returns-to-take-over-Detroit-Pistons-It-could-happen-though-it-shouldn-t

If you don't know, you will soon.

SVG and Isiah?

God is testing me.

Isiah Thomas is in discussions to become a minority owner of the Detroit Pistons, according to Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. Thomas and Pistons owner Tom Gores got to know each other during the Bad Boys reunion in March.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/24564231/report-isiah-thomas-to-become-pistons-minority-owner

Bill Davidson is rolling in his grave.

So he gets 1% ownership and can sit in the front row.

So he gets 1% ownership and can sit in the front row.
Occupy the Palace!

(lame, i know, i'll try harder.)

Isiah being disrespected by Drew Sharp:

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/columnists/drew-sharp/2015/01/09/pistons-nba-drew-sharp/21539477/


But the truth is that they've won five NBA titles over the last 16 years because they surrounded themselves with superstars that happily swallowed their egos. Tim Duncan's cemented himself as one of the top 10 NBA players of all-time, the preferred template for power forwards. Tony Parker's supplanted Isiah Thomas as the best "little man" to ever play the game.

I mean that is just so wrong. Not even being a homer, that just sounds insane to me. Tony Parker??

Why would you guys even bother reading Drew Sharp. I haven't bother reading that guy for years and so glad he's not on the radio anymore. What a troll.

Sad. Guy does nothing but try to get attention. Still can't get any attention.

It's Isiah's post-player antics that enabled Sharp's off-hand remark. Had Isiah ridden off into the proverbial sunset, Sharp would've been crucified for such bullshit in a Detroit paper.

Zeke comes with grime. Just how it is.