Isiah Thomas
Inducted:
2000
Player Stats
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
180 lb (82 kg)
Born
April 30, 1961
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Position:
Point guard
College:
Indiana (1979–1981)
Isiah "Zeke" Thomas was the engine of the "Bad Boys" Detroit Pistons and is widely considered one of the greatest—and toughest—point guards to ever play. At just 6'1", the Chicago native possessed a "baby-faced" smile that masked a ruthless competitive streak. He spent his entire 13-year career with the Pistons, taking them from a league afterthought to back-to-back NBA Championships in 1989 and 1990.
His signature moment came in Game 6 of the 1988 NBA Finals, where he scored 25 points in a single quarter on a severely sprained ankle—a performance still cited as one of the gutsiest in sports history. A master ball-handler and fearless penetrator, Thomas was the only superstar of his era to successfully dethrone the Lakers and Celtics dynasties. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000.
Thomas's Awards and Honors
- NCAA Champion (1981, Indiana)
- NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player (1981)
- USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (1980)
- 11 Retired by the Detroit Pistons
NBA Records
- 2x NBA Champion (1989, 1990)
- NBA Finals MVP (1990)
- 12x NBA All-Star (1982–1993)
- 3x All-NBA First Team (1984, 1985, 1986)
- 2x NBA All-Star Game MVP (1984, 1986)
- NBA 50th & 75th Anniversary Teams
NBA Teams
Detroit Pistons (1981–1994)
NBA Draft
1981: 1st round, 2nd overall pick
Detroit Pistons
Number Worn
11
NBA Stats
Seasons:
13 (1981–1994)
Games Played:
979
Game Started:
971
Points:
18,822 (19.2 ppg)
Assists:
9,061 (9.3 apg)
Steals:
1,861 (1.9 spg)
FG %:
45.2%
FT(%):
75.9%
Points per game:
19.2
NBA Championships:
2 (1989, 1990)
Finals MVP:
1 (1990)