If you were an NBA defender in the 1980s, you didn’t want to see Isiah Thomas coming down the floor. The gritty guard was nearly unstoppable for the better-half of a decade as he led the ‘Bad Boys’ in Detroit to multiple playoff appearances and two NBA titles in 1989 and 1990.
Thomas played his entire, 13-year career with Detroit, racking up 12 All-Star selections, two All-Star Game MVP awards, five All-NBA Team selections, and an NBA Finals MVP for his performance during the 1990 NBA Finals. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.
After retirement in 1994, Thomas remained surrounded by basketball as part owner and Executive Vice President of the expansion Toronto Raptors from 1994-98. Thomas sharpened his broadcasting skills with NBA on NBC after his run with Toronto.
In 2000, Thomas moved to the bench to serve as coach for the Indiana Pacers until 2003, the New York Knicks from 2006-08, and Florida International University from 2009-12. He has a career NBA coaching record of 187-223. While with the Knicks, Thomas also served as the President of Basketball Operations. Thomas joined NBA TV and NBA on TNT in 2012.
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