Happy 64th Birthday, Isiah Thomas

Isiah Thomas surveys the floor while guarded by Michael Jordan. Photo credit Nathaniel S. Butler, 1989 NBE

An NBA legend celebrates a birthday on April 30 as Hall of Fame point guard Isiah Thomas turns 64. 

Thomas, the best player to ever come out of the city of Chicago, attended St. Joseph’s High School, shuttered since 2021, in nearby Westchester, Illinois. 

The school was known for its accomplished basketball program coached by the legendary Gene Pingatore, who won 1,035 games and is the winningest coach in the state of Illinois. Pingatore’s school was a focus of the 1994 documentary Hoop Dreams, which documented the high school careers of stars William Gates and Arthur Agee. 

As a junior, Thomas led the Chargers to the Illinois state championship game. He was a Parade All-American at St. Joe’s. 

In two seasons at Indiana University, Thomas was two-time Big Ten and two-time All Region in addition to being a consensus All-American. Thomas led the NCAA in steals as a freshman and sophomore (2.1 and 2.2 per game) and in 1981 was the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, helping head coach Bobby Knight get his second of three NCAA championships as the Hoosiers beat the University of North Carolina 63-50 in the title game. Teammates of Thomas on the Hoosiers included future NBA player and coach Randy Wittman and future NBA front office executive Glen Grunwald. Thomas averaged 15.4 points, 5.7 assists, and 3.5 rebounds in 63 college games. 

In the 1981 NBA Draft, Thomas was selected 2nd overall by the Detroit Pistons. Thomas was selected behind fellow Chicago native Mark Aguirre, who went No. 1 to the Dallas Mavericks. Aguirre, out of DePaul University, attended Westinghouse High School, the same as fellow NBA forward Eddie Johnson and, later, Hersey Hawkins. Along with Thomas and Aguirre, seven other all-stars came from the ‘81 draft - Buck Williams, Tom Chambers, Rolando Blackman, Kelly Tripucka, Steve Johnson, Larry Nance, and Danny Ainge.

The Pistons underwent an 18-game improvement from the season prior to Thomas to his rookie season, winning 39 games compared to 21 in 1980-81. Thomas (17.0 points, 7.8 assists, 2.1 steals, 42.4% shooting, 33.8 minutes per game, 72 games) was an all-star as a rookie as was Tripucka, who was taken 12th by the Pistons out of Notre Dame. Two centerpieces to the Bad Boy Pistons title teams, Vinnie Johnson and Bill Laimbeer, were also on the roster as was current Pistons’ color commentator “Special K” Greg Kelser. 

In 1982-83, the Pistons won 37 games before reeling off nine consecutive seasons above the .500 mark with Thomas as their floor general and Chuck Daly as their leader. 1983-84 was Daly’s first season as head coach and the team won 49 games. From that season until 1991-92, the Pistons made the playoffs. 

Thomas made All-NBA 2nd team in 1982-83, playing 81 games with his minutes increased to 38.2 and shots to 19. He shot 47.2% from the field and cracked 20 points, averaging 22.9 to go along with 7.8 assists and 2.5 steals. 

The next season, Thomas posted his first of four consecutive seasons of at least 20 points and 10 assists. On December 13, 1983, he scored a career-high 47 points in the Pistons’ 186-184 triple overtime win over the Denver Nuggets

The 6 foot, 1 inch guard averaged 21.3 points and 11.1 assists, 21.2 points and 13.9 assists, 20.9 points and 10.8 assists, and 20.6 points and 10.0 assists from the 1983-84 season through to 1986-87. He averaged 2.5, 2.3, 2.2, and 1.9 steals in those seasons while from 1983-86 making 1st team All-NBA and finishing top 10 in MVP voting in each season (5th, 9th, 9th, 8th).

In the first round in 1984, the Pistons lost to the New York Knicks 3-2 in the first round, but Thomas in his first ever playoff series stood out. He averaged 21.4 points, 11.0 assists, and 2.6 steals on 47% shooting. He registered 29 points in Game 3, 22 points with 16 assists and 7 rebounds in Game 4, and 35 points and 12 assists in Game 5. 

Over their next three seasons (46, 46, and 52 regular season wins), the Pistons made the playoffs, an impressive stretch after finishing under .500 from 1977 through to 1983. In 1985, they lost to the Boston Celtics in six games in the Conference Semifinals, lost 3-1 in the first round in 1986, and lost in seven games to the Celtics in the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals. 

Slow growing pains for a team that would eventually rise to the top.

Notable games in the ‘85 playoffs for Thomas included 29 points and 14 assists in the first round against the New Jersey Nets, 28 points, 15 assists, 9 rebounds, and 5 steals in Game 2 against the Celtics, 26 points and 16 assists in Game 3, and 37 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists in Game 7. In the Conference Semis against the Celtics, Thomas put up 25.5 points, 10.8 assists, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.3 steals on 48,3% shooting.  

Thomas averaged 23.1 points, 9.1 assists, and 2.7 steals against the defending champion Celtics in that ‘87 series, including 36 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals in Game 2 (11-for-21, 43 minutes). 

In 1987-88, Thomas played 81 games and, playing 36.1 minutes per, averaged 19.5 points and 8.4 assists on 46.3% shooting. The Pistons won 54 games and made the Finals, facing Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers. Though they lost in seven games, Thomas in Game 6 delivered one of the greatest and gutsiest playoff performances that you will ever see. To this day, it still has not been topped. 

Playing on a severely sprained ankle for most of the second half, Thomas was noticeably compromised. He scored 43 points in the game (8 assists, 6 steals, 18-for-32, 44 minutes) including an NBA-record 25 in the third quarter. 

The injury happened when Thomas rebounded a miss from Mychal Thompson and in transition passed to Joe Dumars who converted a layup. After the pass, Thomas stepped on Michael Cooper’s foot and fell to the floor. Thomas had scored 14 consecutive points and with Dumars’ layup the Pistons had cut the deficit to four points. The superstar guard was sitting up with his eyes closed and in obvious pain as trainers examined him. He was able to limp to the bench. 

His gait had become somewhat of a hop, but Thomas was able to burst when he needed to, hitting a baseline floater over AC Green and, catching the ball on the elbow extended against Cooper, took one dribble left and elevated for an off-balance bank shot plus the foul, his momentum carrying him towards the crowd and his limp apparent as he made his way to the line. On both shots, Thomas leapt off his left foot with his right ankle the compromised one. 

Thomas hit a 3-pointer and in the final minute of the quarter was running down the center of the floor on a fast break when Dennis Rodman on the right wing with the ball found Thomas down the middle. Thomas, again going off of his left foot, hit a finger roll before falling into the baseline crowd. He admirably sprinted back on defense as best he could, basically playing on one leg. To close out the quarter, Thomas connected on a high baseline jump shot over Cooper. 

“Can you imagine the great performance, maybe the best we’ve ever seen in one quarter in NBA finals history,” remarked play-by-play announcer Dick Stockton at the conclusion of the quarter. “What a gutty, courageous performance” also said Stockton. 

Thomas continued to hit jump shots in the fourth, his last points of the game a baseline jump shot over a contesting Magic. 

Again, in a sports world where overreactions and exaggerations have become commonplace, labeling Thomas’ performance as one of the best in league history and one of the toughest across not just the NBA but all leagues, is not overstating it. 

The Pistons lost the game 103-102 and lost Game 7 by a score of 108-105, but in 1988-89 won 63 games and their first championship. 

Thomas averaged 18.2 points and 8.3 assists (80 games, 36.6 minutes, 46.4% shooting) in ‘88-‘89, and had playoff games of 26 points and 8 assists (1st round Game 2 vs. Boston), 26 points and 9 assists (2nd round Game 3 vs. Milwaukee), 17 points, 13 assists, 10 rebounds (Game 4 vs. Milwaukee), 33 points (Game 2 vs. Chicago), 27 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals (Game 4 vs. Chicago), 17 points and 12 assists (Game 5 vs. Chicago) and 33 points in the close out Game 6 vs. the Bulls. 

The Bulls were not ready. The Pistons, with their famed physical defense and clutch veterans, were on top.

In a Finals’ rematch against the Lakers, Thomas scored 24, 21, 26, and 14 points in the Pistons’ sweep, with averages of 21.3 points and 7.3 assists, and 1.5 steals (48.5%). Dumars, 27.3 points per game, was Finals MVP. 

Thomas averaged 18.4 points and 9.4 assists (81 games, 37.0 minutes, 43.8% shooting) in 1989-90, as the Pistons traded Adrian Dantley for Thomas’ Chicago friend and draft mate Aguirre in February ‘89 and proceeded to win 59 games. In the five game Finals’ win over Clyde Drexler and the Portland Trail Blazers, Thomas shot 54.2% and averaged 27.6 points, 7.0 assists, and 5.2 rebounds with 1.6 steals on his way to being named Finals MVP. He made 13-of-27 shots in Game 1 for 33 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, and in the clincher shot 13-of-20 (3-for-3 from 3-point range) for 29 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals. 

After the 1989-90 season, the Pistons’ title reign concluded, and Thomas played just 48 games in 1990-91 due to a wrist injury, finishing the regular season with averages of 16.2 points and 9.3 assists on 43.5% shooting in 34.5 minutes per game, the latter the lowest since his rookie season. 

He bounced back to play 78 games (back up in minutes to 37.4 per game) and averaged 18.5 points and 7.2 assists in 1991-92 (44.6% shooting) and made his 11th consecutive all- star game. 

Thomas made his final all-star appearance in 1992-93, averaging 17.6 points and 8.5 assists on 41.8% shooting in 79 games, 37 minutes per game. 

1993-94 would be Thomas’ last season, as he played 58 games (56 starts), played in 30.2 minutes per game, shot 41.7% and averaged 14.8 points and 6.9 assists. 

Thomas tore his Achilles late in his final season, but the injury that forced him to retire and impacted his effectiveness was the wrist injury suffered in the 1990-91 season, as Thomas revealed on the All the Smoke podcast. During the interview, he stated that he underwent Kirk Watson surgery to correct the wrist. Understandably, the surgery impacted his shooting. A career 45.2% shooter from the field, his percentage dipped to below 42% in his final two seasons. 

After 13 seasons and at age 33, Thomas’ splendid career came to an end. He made five All-NBA teams (three 1st team), made 12 all-star games in his 13 seasons and averaged 19.2 points, 9.3 assists, and 1.6 steals in 979 career games (971 starts) in 36.3 minutes per game. 

From 1994-1997, Thomas served as Vice President of the Toronto Raptors, who began play in the 1995-96 season. His IU teammate Grunwald served as the Raptors assistant General Manager in the same span. 

Thomas was the head coach of the Indiana Pacers from 2000-2003, winning 131 of 246 games. He coached the New York Knicks from 2006-2008 to a 56-108 record in two seasons. He has also been a long time analyst on NBA TV. 

Thomas was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000. 

You cannot discuss the greatest point guards in NBA history without mentioning Isiah Thomas. Listed at 6 feet, 1 inch and 180 pounds, "Zeke" was in a lot of ways the prototype for Chris Paul, Stephen Curry, and Kyrie Irving. Watch all three and you will see flashes of Isiah - the ball handling especially with Curry and Irving. His quickness and speed were rare, too. 

In December of 2024, Thomas revealed a diagnosis of Bell’s palsy. 

Best wishes and a happy 64th birthday to one of the best to ever play, Isiah Thomas.