Isiah Thomas

Isiah Lord Thomas III ( eye-ZAY-ə; born April 30, 1961), also known as "Zeke", is an American former professional basketball player and coach who is an analyst for NBA TV. He played his entire professional career for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A 12-time NBA All-Star, Thomas was named to the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams, and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. From 2000 to 2012 he coached the Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, and FIU. Thomas played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers, leading them to the 1981 NCAA championship as a sophomore and declaring for the NBA draft. He was taken as the second overall pick by the Pistons in the 1981 NBA draft, and played for them his entire career, while leading the "Bad Boys" to the 1988–89 and 1989–90 NBA championships. Following his playing career, Thomas was an executive with the Toronto Raptors, a television commentator, the owner of the Continental Basketball Association, the head coach of the Indiana Pacers, and an executive and head coach for the New York Knicks. He later served as men's basketball coach for the Florida International University (FIU) Golden Panthers for three seasons from 2009 to 2012. Thomas was a president and part owner of the Knicks' WNBA sister team, the New York Liberty, from 2015 to 2019.