Isiah Lord Thomas III is an American retired basketball player who played professionally for the Detroit Pistons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 12-time NBA All-Star was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Thomas has also been a professional and collegiate head coach, a basketball executive, and a broadcaster.
Thomas played collegiately for the Indiana Hoosiers. He went on to play professionally as point guard for the Pistons from 1981 until 1994 and led the “Bad Boys” to NBA championships in the 1988–89 and 1989–90 seasons. After his playing career, he was an executive with the Toronto Raptors, a television commentator, an executive with the Continental Basketball Association, head coach of the Indiana Pacers, and an executive and head coach for the New York Knicks. He was later the men’s basketball coach for the Florida International University (FIU) Golden Panthers for three seasons from 2009 to 2012. In early May 2015, amidst controversy, Isiah was named president and part owner of the Knicks’ WNBA sister team, the New York Liberty, subsequent to the re-hiring of Thomas’s former Pistons teammate, Bill Laimbeer, as the team’s coach.
On December 22, 2003, the New York Knicks hired Thomas as President of Basketball Operations.Thomas was ultimately unsuccessful with the Knicks roster and fanbase. At the end of the 2005–06 season, the Knicks had the highest payroll in the league and the second-worst record. He traded away several future draft picks to Chicago in a deal for Eddy Curry including what turned out to be two lottery picks in talent-rich drafts.
On April 2, 2008, Donnie Walsh was introduced to replace Thomas as President of Basketball Operations for the Knicks. Walsh would not comment definitively on whether or not Thomas would be retained in any capacity at the time of his hiring.
One night after the Knicks tied a franchise record of 59 losses and ended their season, news broke that in talks with Walsh the week before, Thomas had been told he would not return as Knicks head coach the following season. He was officially “reassigned” on April 18 “after a season of listless and dreadful basketball, a tawdry lawsuit and unending chants from fans demanding his dismissal. Thomas posted an overall winning percentage of .341 as head coach of the Knicks, fifth lowest in team history. As part of the reassignment agreement, Thomas was to serve as a consultant to the team, reporting directly to Walsh. However, he was banned from having contact with any Knicks’ players under the rationale that he could willingly or unwillingly undermine the new head coach.
World Liberty TV, Team was on hand where Isiah Thomas participated in a Sports Panel Organized By Rev Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Push Wall Street Project, See what Isiah had to say at the Keynote he delivered, there is also talks of him coming Back to be the head Coach of NY Knicks.
On Monday, March 2, 2015, “The Stop Ebola and Build for the Future” concert took place at The United Nations General Assembly Hall and honored individuals on the frontline fighting the lethal disease. Distinguished speakers included United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, TV Personality Lisa Vanderpump, Our Host for the evening was Cheryl Wills. Performances by Etana, and Cheick Mamala Diabate.
Before the concert Billy Gilman, Richard Pryor Jr, Kelly Bensimon, Cody Calafiore, Omar Sharif Jr, Shannon LaNier, Barret Beyer, Wendy Diamond, Dr. Benjamin Chavis, Jeremy Penn, David Banegas, BB Thomaz, Marc John Jefferies, Rain Dove, Mel Rose, tand other distinguished guests will meet at a reception in the UN Delegates Dining Room where they will recognize a select group of individuals who have fought heroically against Ebola.
The goal of this momentous occasion is to raise awareness and funds to combat Ebola’s effects in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and to maintain the effort until this outbreak is completely controlled. In particular, the proceeds raised are expected to support the thousands of children who have been orphaned by Ebola and who are now shunned even by their close family members.
