In this photo taken on Oct. 22, 2009, former NBA player Isiah Thomas, now head coach for Florida International University, answers a question from a fan during a promotional event for his men’s basketball team at FIU in Miami. Thomas lost his coaching debut at FIU on Wednesday night when Northwood, an NAIA school coached By Rollie Massimino, beat the Panthers 71-61 in an exhibition game. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
AP
Go ahead and scoff. Laugh if you must. Isiah Thomas doesn’t care.
He spoke to Dan LeBatard on 790 the Ticket in Miami and sounded like a guy who had learned from decades of being interviewed how to say the right things. How he and everyone in the Knicks front office are all chums, for example.
“Donnie Walsh and I and (owner) Jim (Dolan) and I, we’ve have always had great respect for each other. Donnie and I have worked with each other. Actually, Donnie gave me my first job in the NBA in terms of coaching with the Indiana Pacers. The relationships that we have and our ability to work together and understand how tough it is to win in New York and try to assemble talent to go out there and compete, I’m glad they have given me the opportunity to come back.”
And that sexual harassment lawsuit that cost the team $11 million.
“I’ve always maintained my innocence. That’s how I explain that situation. And also, there was a lot going on in my life at that time also. My mother was dying. I had been falsely accused in my mind of this horrible thing. We went to court to prove it and we lost and we moved on. I think that the press release that was released after the trial one of the things that was said is that we did not believe that the jury got it right.”
And what about him ditching FIU?
“With any coach in college right now, whether it be basketball or football, I think that any fan of that school has that question about his or her coach. I want to put that rumor to rest. But, if I was to leave FIU, the only positions that I would be interested in looking at would be to be a general manager for a team or consulting or advising with a team. I don’t see myself coaching in the NBA. I don’t have any interest in coaching in the NBA... I don’t have to take any job, although there will be some jobs that are appealing to me if they were to open. However, I wouldn’t take just take any job to be a general manager in the NBA.”
Wait... you’d only leave that that for is being a GM or the job you were just given by the Knicks? So you would leave.
Whatever, it’s all good. I don’t know what the rest of you are talking about.
