Isiah vs. Knicks: Unforgettable

When he came here with the Knicks last year, his first as their coach, he told me he hadn’t been under this much pressure since he tried to duck and dodge trouble on Chicago’s mean streets in the 60s and 70s. Somehow, he survived the season, winning 33 games, ten more than his predecessor, Larry Brown, and earned a chance to come back this year.

Over the summer, he lost a highly publicized sexual harassment suit to a former employee and then heard commissioner David Stern harshly criticize the culture of Knicks management. Last weekend, after a poor performance in an embarrassing late loss to winless Miami, his star point guard, Stephon Marbury, flew the coop for a day when Isiah said he would bench him.

As of Sunday the 18th, his Knicks are 2-7 and on a six-game losing streak after completing a four-game Western swing. According to published reports in New York, Isiah has told some confidants he expects to be fired soon.

It’s unfair for me to make judgments without knowing all the facts, and that’s why I evaluate Thomas only on what I know, and as a reporter, he was always great to me, and as a player, there was never another like him.

He fell into the Pistons arms with the #2 pick when Dallas failed to take him with the top pick (the Mavericks took Isiah’s buddy Mark Aguirre, instead). The Pistons had won only 16 and 21 games the previous two years. Immediately after the draft, Isiah asked general manager Jack McCloskey to trade him to the Bulls.

Jack asked, “Why?”

Isiah, just 19 at the time answered, “Who will I pass the ball to here?”

Jack smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll get you some guys.”

The rest is history. The greatest little man in NBA history then told reporters in Detroit he didn’t care what state the franchise was in, he would lead this team to championships, and he did just that.

As we celebrate 50 seasons of Pistons history in Detroit and assemble our “50 Unforgettable Moments” for My 20, WDIV and for viewing in the arena during games, I’ve asked every interviewee to talk about Isiah the player. Here are some comments on the night in 1984 that he scored 16 points in 90 seconds against the Knicks in a memorable overtime playoff loss:

Dave Bing: “I did color commentary for that game. I’d never seen anybody do what he did in that span of time in a moment as big as that.”

Kelly Tripucka: “It was superhuman. We were like four pawns trying to get out of his way. I couldn’t believe we lost the series when you had a teammate do what he did.”

Vinnie Johnson: “He had a big heart, he would play hurt, he would never give up – he was just a great competitor and wanted in the worst way to win ballgames.”

Joe Dumars: “I got drafted a year later, and the first few weeks I found myself just watching him instead of playing with him. The things he did on the court were just amazing to me.”

The game at Joe Louis Arena was back when Isiah Thomas was still so young – just his third year. Jack McCloskey says that that was the night Isiah became, in his own mind, a superstar.

Watch our pregame show at 7:30 Wednesday. You’ll hear from Isiah and many others and relive that incredible game, one of my favorites in the “Unforgettable 50.”

And regarding Isiah today, I hope he survives the mess he’s helped create in New York. But whether he does or doesn’t, his playing career in Detroit will always be “unforgettable.”