For what seems like the better part of the last 12 months or so, Isiah Thomas‘ name has repeatedly been mentioned in the same sentence as the words “return to the Knicks”, naturally, much to the chagrin of Knicks faithful. But with the recent news of Donnie Walsh stepping down as General Manger this past Friday, those Isiah rumors actually seem more tangible than ever, now that the role is vacant.
You’d be hard pressed to encounter someone who follows the Knicks as closely as I do, who actually has positive things to say about Isiah’s tenure in New York. He’s usually the butt of a joke and his name alone is a great opportunity to vent endlessly whether or not you’re fully informed on the situation. However, despite the negative press that he brought the club, owner James Dolan surprisingly is still very fond of Thomas. You would think that the owner of a team in the most preeminent market in the League would loathe the very thought of Isiah’s existence. Just the opposite, though as the two appear to have remained friends. Many simply think that means that Dolan is incompetent. But it probably has more to do with the fact that he wasn’t as down on the job Isiah did, than it has to do with incompetence or ineptitude on Dolan’s part. This alone is why Isiah’s name has remained somewhat relevant in New York, especially now.
Say what you will about Isiah, but you would be extremely naive to believe that everything that went wrong with the Knicks while he was a part of his team was solely his doing. Does he deserve a fair shame of the blame? Absolutely (especially given the outcome of the Anucha case – whether or not he was truly guilty of wrong doing ), but there’s plenty to go around. Larry Brown, for example, was a huge culprit in the chaos but he has somehow managed to escape the backlash relatively unscathed. By no means was Isiah a saint or should he be absolved of culpability, but I never thought his reign in Manhattan was as bad as advertised. Neither does Dolan, apparently.
If Dolan were to bring Isiah back as General Manager, he would endure a PR nightmare like never before. For the first time in a long time, the Knicks have climbed their way back to a standard of respectability around the League. If you were to now add Isiah’s name to the mix, it would immediately erase that before Thomas’ plane even touches down at JFK or LaGuardia. Based on that reason and that reason alone, Dolan would be a complete fool to court Isiah again. It would destroy his brand for the foreseeable future. If he wants to remain friends, fine, but anything more than that and the media would have a field day.
But hypothetically speaking, and if Isiah’s return to the Garden didn’t bring along a laundry list of baggage and putrid PR, I actually think he’d do a decent job. You would have to think that he would understand and appreciate the groundwork that Walsh laid during his regime, and would follow suit. Not to mention the fact that his eye for talent is unquestioned.
However, any shot of Isiah returning is unlikely. And if you ask Isiah, he’s not interested anyway. Thomas was a recent guest on The Stephen A. Smith Show on 1050 ESPN New York where expressed his interest, or lack thereof. Here’s a part of the interview:
Smith: Do you want to be back with the New York Knicks organzation?
Thomas: “I don’t want to be the President of the New York Knicks. That’s not what I’m angling for. In terms of being in the NBA or working in an NBA organization I’ve said this before at some point in time I would like to return to the NBA and I would like to continue in the NBA, but at this time my focus is at FIU [Florida International University] and working in college and working with the kids that I’m working with.”
Smith: Why do you not want to be the President of the New York Knicks or for any team?
Thomas: “I…not necessarily any team, but I would just say in this situation right now you know what with what went on with myself and my family and the toll that it took on just my family here in New York. It was just difficult for us and we had a very difficult time. I don’t know if I would want to go through that again.”
Smith: Let me just make this clear for the listeners out there. Are you trying to say that if your friend, the billionaire, Mr.Dolan, picked up the phone, called you and said ‘I want you back in the same position you had before you’d likely say no?’
Thomas: “I probably would because I think I could help him…I would try to help him in other ways. I just don’t know if my skin…I don’t know if my family and myself… I don’t if we could all go through that again. It was very difficult for all of us during that period of time and I wouldn’t want to go through that again.”
Smith: What about being the coach of the Knicks?
Thomas: “Absolutely not.”
So, there you have it. Not that it was much of an actually legitimacy in the first place, but if you had any concerns, hopefully Isiah answered that for you. But the question remains: who will assume the role of GM for the Knicks? Will they keep it in-house and anoint Allan Houston? We’ll see. If so, this would be one lofty and daunting task for a rookie GM; which is to add the key piece or two that fans think are needed in order to become contenders.
If you’re looking for your everyday, predictable basketball talk, then go somewhere else, because Kevin Burke of The Kevin Burke Project brings provocative, thought provoking content about basketball as only he can. Kevin also hosts The Hoop Doctors weekly podcast show, which you can subscribe to for free on iTunes. Follow Kevin on Twitter and Facebook
