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3 - Isiah Thomas
Championships: 2
Career averages: 19.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 9.3 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Achievements: 1989-1990 Finals MVP, 12x All-Star, 5x All-NBA Selection, Hall of Famer
Isiah Thomas was someone who split opinions. His on-court abilities were never in doubt, and Michael Jordan called him the second best Point Guard in the history of the NBA.
Zeke, as he is affectionately called, was a very competitive player and sometimes that competitiveness in him led to him crossing the line on the court. The Detroit Pistons, led by Isiah, were a tough team and very physical. The NBA stars of the era didn't enjoy playing against this kind of basketball. The Pistons team came to be known as the 'Bad Boy' Pistons and their brand of basketball was sometimes referred to as Thug Ball.
Fights and altercations were a common sight during Pistons basketball games. Isiah Thomas also publicly disparaged well-liked NBA superstars of the 80s, including Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, which didn't make him many friends among his peers.
Isiah Thomas' infamous run-ins with Michael Jordan's Bulls have been documented in the show The Last Dance. Isaiah Thomas was omitted from the 1992 USA Men's Basketball Team for the Olympics. It was alleged that it was because no other star, including Michael Jordan, wanted Isiah on the team, despite Isiah being the best point guard at the time.
Isiah's abilities with the ball in his hand aren't in any dispute. He was a tough and disciplined fighter and expected the same from all his teammates. When he felt he wasn't getting them from his teammates, he often called them out for it publicly.
It was his well drilled Pistons team that brought an end to the dominance of the Lakers and the Celtics in the 80s. Between 1980 and 1988, every NBA title, barring 1, was won by either the Lakers or the Celtics.
The Pistons put an end to that run in 1989 when they defeated the Lakers to lift the title and repeated the feat again in 1990.
Isiah Thomas was one of the toughest pound-for-pound players in the history of the league and one of its true leaders.
