Ishiah Thomas Fired As Coach

[Its Ok 2 B Quiet]

Isiah Thomas fired as coach of New York Knicks
By BRIAN MAHONEY, AP Basketball Writer
1 hour, 54 minutes ago

Printable View
Return to Original Buzz Up PrintNEW YORK (AP)—Isiah Thomas was fired as coach of the New York Knicks on Friday after a season of listless and dreadful basketball, a tawdry lawsuit and unending chants from fans demanding Thomas’ dismissal.

Thomas, the coach for two seasons, will remain with the organization reporting directly to new president Donnie Walsh, a rapid fall for Thomas who also was team president a little more than two weeks ago.

Walsh said he informed Thomas of the decision Friday.

“It’s very difficult to be the coach and general manager,” he said. “Maybe it was too much.”

Walsh took over Thomas’ role as team president April 2, and his first big decision was to change coaches as he begins the process of turning around a team that never won a playoff game in Thomas’ tenure.

“I just believe a new voice, a new coach, is necessary to change the direction of the team,” Walsh said. “This is a coveted job. People want to coach here.


The Knicks finished 23-59, matching the franchise record for losses, in their seventh straight losing season.

“I can’t tell you really where we failed,” Walsh said. “The bottom line is we haven’t won, and the team didn’t look like it was motivated to try to win.”

Two of those 59-loss debacles came in the last three years, when the Knicks solidified themselves as the NBA’s most dysfunctional franchise with poor play on the court and embarrassing behavior off it.

This season alone, Thomas was found to have sexually harassed a former team employee, feuded with point guard Stephon Marbury and benched center Eddy Curry — the players Thomas acquired in the two biggest of a number of moves that never panned out.

Walsh wants a new coach in place by the draft in June, when the Knicks will finally have their lottery pick again after handing over their last two to Chicago in the Curry trade.

Walsh said he hasn’t talked to any candidates, but mentioned former Knick and current TV analyst Mark Jackson, and assistant coach Herb Williams as people who likely would be interviewed. He said he has no timetable to make his decision.

“Obviously, when you’re losing, there has to be a culture change,” he said. “There’s no easy answer. … We’ve got to work 24-7 to become competitive.”

And Thomas will be a part of that.

His new role with the Knicks does not have a title. Without getting specific, Walsh said there were assignments he’d feel completely comfortable giving to Thomas.

“I feel like some of the bigger events that happened on the way with Isiah overshadowed some of the good things” that he accomplished, Walsh said.

“I will be in touch with Isiah a lot,” he said.

Thomas is 187-223 as an NBA coach, leading the Indiana Pacers to the playoffs in three straight years from 2000-03. Larry Bird fired him after becoming team president, a move Walsh—who had hired Thomas as coach—was originally against but eventually went along with.

Thomas was hired as the Knicks’ team president on Dec. 22, 2003, and he acquired Marbury from Phoenix weeks later. The Knicks made the playoffs that season, getting swept by New Jersey, but haven’t gone back despite their annual spot atop the league’s highest payroll list.

Though the salary cap was already out of whack by the time Thomas arrived, he didn’t help matters with some questionable moves. He gave a $30 million contract in the summer of 2005 to center Jerome James, a career 4.3 points per game scorer who hasn’t been healthy or productive, and seems bothered by neither. A year later, Thomas used his mid-level exception on Jared Jeffries, who has limited offensive skills.

Still, Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan remained confident in Thomas, even making him coach in June 2006 after firing Larry Brown following one season. But that came with an ultimatum, as Dolan warned Thomas to show “evident progress” in one season or be fired from both positions.

The Knicks went 33-49 last season, but that was good enough for Dolan. He rewarded Thomas with a multiyear contract extension with more than a month left after New York moved into eighth place, but the Knicks collapsed under a series of injuries and missed the postseason.

Things went poorly this season from the time training camp opened.

The jury came back with its verdict that day, finding that Thomas and MSG sexually harassed former team executive Anucha Browne Sanders and ordering the company to pay $11.6 million in damages. Criticized by Al Sharpton and Rutgers women’s coach C. Vivian Stringer for comments he made in his taped deposition, Thomas seemed downcast during most of training camp—and never had much reason for better spirits when the season began.

The Knicks started 2-1, then dropped eight in a row as the Thomas-Marbury feud sent the season spiraling out of control. Marbury responded to Thomas’ plans to bench him by skipping a game in Phoenix, and the players reportedly voted to make Marbury sit out a game when he returned. Instead, Thomas played the point guard more than 33 minutes off the bench in a game in Los Angeles against the Clippers.

It soon became obvious that Thomas’ draft night acquisition of Zach Randolph had set back Curry, who lost his confidence and later his starting job. Speculation was rampant by Thanksgiving that Thomas’ job was in jeopardy, and it only heated up after the Knicks’ nationally televised 104-59 loss at Boston on Nov. 29.

Chants of “Fire Isiah!” sometimes started minutes after home games, and even Dolan’s strong relationship with Thomas couldn’t convince people the coach would last.



Are you surprised by this? I am wondering why they hadn't done it awhile ago????:feedback:

[s8loud]

I only have a cursory knowledge of all the drama surrounding Thomas, but I am surprised that he wasn't fired earlier, if not for the negative press attention. With the NBA in the state that it's in, bad press is the last thing it needs.

So, in remembering Thomas, I suppose we can sum up by saying he gave us a lot of good memories on the court, but his off-the-court tenure left a lot to be desired.

[Mr Gumbo]

I'm sorry but NY is tripping. They should of fired him after the big court case they lost because of the sexual harrasement. So they keep him and wait, have 1 of the worse years in their history and they fire him from coach only but keep him as a GM, wrong move, he's the one that put that sorry team together he should be gone from GM also.

[mlr710]

Originally Posted by Mr Gumbo

I'm sorry but NY is tripping. They should of fired him after the big court case they lost because of the sexual harrasement. So they keep him and wait, have 1 of the worse years in their history and they fire him from coach only but keep him as a GM, wrong move, he's the one that put that sorry team together he should be gone from GM also.

Evidently they can't fire him from the organization completely....Isiah must actually have some clauses in his contract that prevent that because I really can't understand how he's managed to stay on at all.

[Terminal Server]

Isiah Thomas fired as coach of New York Knicks

It's about time! The Nicks have been in a tail spin for some time now and Thomas was incapable of doing anything about it. And after the sexual harassment debacle, I was shocked they still kept him around. Ever since he was the helmsman of the Nicks -he as done nothing! There was no sane reason to keep him as long as they did. It's obvious he had very good friends in high places.

[Auset32]

I don't understand why they kept him so long. The knicks have not played like they wanted to or could win under Thomas.

[Proudbrothaman]

Thomas is a leech, I don't know why Dolan even hired him from the beginning! He sucked in Indy and he got worse when he came to the Garden. I'm a life long Knick fan, been to the Garden a million times but after last year I refused to go back until that clown was gone. The Knicks have a lot of work to do, their going to have to live with the roster they have unless Walsh can pull off a couple of miracles. No on wants those contracts Isiah absorbed. I'm ok with that because walsh will get it right. Kick Rocks Isiah

[Its Ok 2 B Quiet]

Another question........Do you guys think with his reputation and issues, this will keep another team from hiring him as coach?

[Mr Gumbo]

Yes. I don't see him getting another head coaching job. I think that trail over the summer pretty much killed his career as a coach.