Isiah Thomas is known as a legendary point guard of the Detroit Pistons. He has two championships and a Finals MVP trophy. He is a Hall of Famer. He is a hero for undersized players and an inspiration to many around the world.
Thomas' list of accomplishments is long, but his most recent achievement is particularly sweet. Two weeks ago, the NBA announced its 75th Anniversary Team, placing Thomas among the league's greatest basketball players. He was also part of the 50th Anniversary Team back in 1996 – a well-deserved recognition to one of the best to ever do it.
"The team accomplishments always, to me, outweigh the individual accomplishments. Winning back-to-back championships with the Detroit Pistons still was the pinnacle," Thomas said in a meet and greet event hosted by the NBA for its affiliate partners. "However, going into the Hall of Fame, being selected as Top 75, those are individual awards that you definitely have to share with your teammates. But at the same time, being selected as an individual, being a part of that is truly special."
Thomas began hooping in his hometown in Chicago, Illinois. Though he eventually played college ball in Indiana and pursued a professional career in Detroit, he never forgot his roots. He shared that the reason he wore the No. 11 throughout his playing days was because of a legendary Chicago player, Sam Puckett.
"I just always wore his number," Thomas said. "He was someone that I idolized. He was a lefty, I was a righty, but still, he was a great player. That's why I wore No. 11."
Thomas was a 12-time All-Star and part of the fabled "Bad Boys" of Detroit. He and his team's place in the ‘80s remain significant to the league's storied history. Nowadays, Thomas serves as a regular fixture in NBA TV, analyzing the game and sharing insights about today's players.
From Giannis Antetokounmpo to Kevin Durant and Nikola Jokic, Thomas pointed out that the NBA currently features players with an immense combination of height and skill.
"The young talent that we have in the league right now – coming off Giannis winning the MVP and the Milwaukee Bucks winning the championship. I mean, the talent is just crazy. It's 7-footers like we've never experienced before in our league," he said.
While big men are doing things we've never seen before, the guard position shouldn't be overlooked. A lot of guards are also excelling and changing the game.
"The point guard position is in such good hands,” said Thomas, who is obviously very familiar with the role. "(Trae Young, Ja Morant, and LaMelo Ball), they're exciting players. They're not only exciting, they're entertainers. They know how to make their team better. They just get it. They're gonna have their ups and downs and I love watching them play.”
“I said this before... I used to love watching Steph Curry and Kyrie Irving go at it. Every time they got on the floor, I had to watch. Chris Paul is just a maestro. He does his thing. These point guards that are up and coming, they are electrifying the point guard position," he added.
It's been more than three decades since Thomas won back-to-back titles with the Pistons and he still knows what it takes to win a championship in the NBA. For this season, he's looking at the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Lakers as favorites to win it all. That being said, he has another team that he's keeping an eye on.
"You look at L.A. and you look at Brooklyn from a talent standpoint. They got the best talent, however, there are always some teams that are up-and-coming that you don't know about," he said. "Keep an eye on Atlanta. Atlanta was in Eastern Conference Finals last year. They're still young and hungry so they've got a chance."
Thomas is a basketball icon and his inclusion in the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team proves his indelible mark in the game, which was beyond what he ever imagined during his younger years.
"I'm still like the little kid who tried out for the team, and then you go down the hall the next day and see if your name is written on a piece of paper and then you go, 'I made it’,” he shared. “You never thought that you would be honored in such a way and be a part of such an elite group when you were growing up playing basketball. To be a part of it, it truly is a special thing."
Thomas played fearlessly, not letting his size get in the way, and that made him endearing to fans. Kids looked up to him and copied his moves. Thomas is grateful for his fans from the Philippines, which he described as an “extension of Detroit in terms of fanbase”.
"I love my Filipino fans. I can't wait to get to the Philippines. I know we have so many Pistons fans over there. Young generation and even the older generation back in the day, in the ‘80s when we were tape-delayed," Thomas said. "Trust me, you probably didn't know it or probably didn't hear about it, but we in the locker room, we felt the love that we were getting from the Philippines."
