By David
Zirin
Monday, January 5th, 2004
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"This isn't charity, this is a business, and it's a very tough business ...
We all get paid a lot of money to do what we need to do. If you can't do
it, we've got to find somebody else."
Who said the above quote? If you guessed Tony Soprano or Donald Trump, you
are wrong, but not by much. It's none other than Isiah Thomas announcing
his blueprint for success as new President of the New York Knicks.
So far, Thomas is making an impact. The Knicks have won four in a row as
of last Friday, with the woefully underachieving Keith Van Horn leading
the way.
Their last three victories have all been by at least 20 points, something
the Knicks haven't done since 1997.
"You've got to give him some credit for bringing some accountability. You
have to give him credit for challenging us," guard Allan Houston said after
New York extended its winning streak to four games -- the team's longest
in 23 months -- with a 29-point victory over the Miami Heat on Tuesday night.
Thomas has put everyone on notice that the old Knicks and their bloated,
league-high $88 million roster, are done. The team that taught us the joys
of passing in the early 1970s, is led in assists by Howard Eisley averaging
a whopping 4.5 a game. Their lumbering play, reminiscent of an uninspired
blob, slouching toward basketball Gomorrah will be no more.
Clearly, the jettisoning of former Team President Scott Layden was long overdue.
No doubt, the families of Shandon Anderson, Howard Eisely, Clarence Weatherspoon,
and Michael Doleac, wept at his departure, but no one else. While Layden
shied from the bright lights and tabloid intensity of New York sports, Thomas
seems to be taking to it like a wolf in a steakhouse.
Team Prez suits Thomas, who has shown an eye for talent. As GM of the Toronto
Raptors, he drafted Damon Stoudamire, Marcus Camby, and a skinny high school
kid named Tracy McGrady. Think drafting is easy? Stoudamire was picked ninth
in between Bryant Reeves and Shawn Respert. McGrady was between Adonal Foyle
and Danny Fortson. He also gave shots in Indiana to unproven talents Jermaine
O'Neal, Ron Artest, and Al Harrington. Thomas will find players.
Now, Zeke has his detractors. It has long been said that the real Thomas
is the huckster who bankrupted the CBA, the non-coach who couldn't get the
Pacers out of the first round of the playoffs, the rageaholic who holds grudges
and hate deep inside of him that can explode in a heartbeat.
But no one would deny that the little man from Chicago seethes to win. Isiah
came into the league with people saying he could be the next Tiny Archibald.
Translation is that at best he could be entertaining, put up gaudy numbers,
but know his place in a big man's league. Instead, he smiled, burned, and
became the bitter beating heart of the Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn, and "Bad
Boys" team in Detroit that overcame the Celtics and Lakers dynasties to win
two titles.
I grew up a die-hard Knicks fan, but I became an Isiah-believer in Game 5
of the 1984 playoffs. Thomas scored 16 points in the final 94 seconds against
the Knicks. How insane is that? Over a full game at that pace, Isaiah would
have scored 512 points. The game was in the old, sweltering Joe Louis Arena
in Detroit. It was so hot, Kelly Tripucka's mullet had frizzed out to make
him look like one of the Supremes. The Pistons lost because Knick legend
Bernard King was a monster. But Isiah had me.
Maybe his smile is fake as a three dollar bill. Maybe behind the pearly whites,
his canines are bared for a fight. Maybe he is as nasty as his enemies say.
As a Knicks fan in 2004, I sure as hell hope he is.
Dave Zirin is the News Editor for the Prince George's Post, in Prince
George's County, Maryland. He can be reached at [email protected] To read
more of Zirin's work, check out
EdgeofSports.com.
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