Okay, my first sports post at the new place and this one is really funny. Isiah Thomas has actually threatened The Sports Guy, Bill Simmons, on a radio show.
Well, now I have a new career highlight: During a New York radio interview Monday, Isiah Thomas threatened to make trouble for me. Talking to Stephen A. Smith he said, "I'm gonna tell ya...if I see this guy Bill Simmons, oh, it's gonna be a problem with me and him...". I thought it was ironic he threatened me on Martin Luther King Jr. Day - I'm sure MLK would have been proud. Given that this was the same guy who sucker-punched his best friend on the Pistons (Bill Laimbeer) during the 1992 season, I am thinking about travelling with a full-time bodyguard, or at the very least a can of mace or one of those tasers that you can get in a stalker catalog.
Thomas is mad because Simmons has been critical of him, but for crying out loud how could you not be? Isiah was one of the greatest basketball players I've ever seen. Best little man ever to play the game (Iverson, call me when you've won a championship and we'll talk). A total warrior on the court, a guy with an extra dose of that killer instinct that sets the truly great players apart from the run of the mill talents. As a player, he deserves to be placed in that tier right below the short list of the genuinely transcendant (Magic, Bird, Jordan, Oscar and Wilt). But as an executive/coach/decision maker? He's an unmitigated disaster.
He was so bad as a part owner and team president in Toronto that they ran him out of town on a rail. He bought the CBA and put them into bankruptcy. He took over as coach of the Pacers a year after they made the NBA finals and underachieved for 3 years with them. And with the Knicks he took over a team that was in a very deep salary cap hole and proceeded to pick up a shovel and keep digging. He took over for Scott Layden, who would be on anyone's list of the worst NBA general managers of all time, and actually made things worse.
His first big splash after taking over was trading 5 players, two draft picks, cash and a can of spam to the Suns to get the vastly overrated Stephon Marbury (headcase) and the roughly $4 billion contract of Anfernee Hardaway. Then he traded two more players and another draft pick for Tim Thomas (headcase, currently suspended by the team) and Nazr Mohammed, who they turned around and traded to San Antonio for Malik Rose (good guy, no position - but I think they got their can of spam back in this deal somehow). He then traded 4 more players to Chicago for Jamal Crawford (headcase without a position). His big free agent signing during this time? Vin Baker (alcoholic headcase 40 pounds overweight). Twice.
But he wasn't done yet. Left with a team without a true center, he decided to rectify that by signing Eddie Curry, whose heart condition means he could drop dead on the court pretty much any moment. And as a backup, he signed Jerome James, for whom the word 'stiff' would be a compliment, to the worst contract since Jim Mcilvane signed with the Sonics. I wouldn't hire this guy to run a Dairy Queen, much less a basketball team. Seems to me he ought to be spending more time polishing up his resume than worrying about Bill Simmons.
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Watchout Ed, Zeke might sick Antonio Davis's wife on you.
Ed - I don't feel the same respect as you do for Isiah... I will always remember he led the Pistons bush-league, slinking away from the court when the Bulls finally kicked their ugly-butts and went on to win their first 3-peat. What a scumbag thing to do. He also led the "freeze out Michael" at MJ's first All-Star game, so he should have his butt kicked for that too. He is such an idiot in my mind that he is probably a bible-thumping YEC that thanks God for every basket. Same for Lambier BTW. Turds.
Weasels. YEC's.
J-Dog:
I agree on those things as well. My only respect for him is as a player. On the court, the guy was one of the all time greats. Underrated as a player, I think. But I totally agree with you on walking off the court against the Bulls and on the freezeout of Jordan in the all star game (though that one he paid for in spades by being kept off the Dream Team by Jordan). Bush league and unprofessional in both cases. And once he quit playing, virtually everything he's done has followed that pattern.
Totally agree with you - one minor error above. Tim Thomas was traded to the Bulls (in the Curry deal), and the Bulls suspended him for being overpayed/undertalented.
Oops, good catch Seth.