The Knicks under Isiah Thomas have been a complete disaster. Here's one observer's ranking of the five most embarrassing moments of The Zeke Era. [This is via the Fanhouse]

#5: The Knicks-Nuggets Fight
As far as overanalyzed NBA fistfights go, the Nuggets-Knicks brawl was relatively tame. No fans got arrested, no one missed an entire season of basketball. But there was a good deal of fall-out, especially for Isiah -- who allegedly instigated the whole thing by sending in the thugs to rough up the Nuggs. Isiah avoided sanctions, but came off looking worse than everyone but backpedaling Melo.

#4: The Steve Francis Trade
When Isiah rang Orlando GM Otis Smith two winters ago, his team had gunner Stephon Marbury, gunner Jamal Crawford and gunner Nate Robinson in the backcourt. "You know what this team needs?" asked Isiah. "More gunners." Shockingly, Steve Francis didn't fix the Knicks problems. And Isiah gave up impending cap room (Penny Hardaway) and a promising swingman (Trevor Ariza) to find out. Awesome.

#3: The Larry Brown Saga
Isiah doesn't get sole blame for the bizarre season the Knicks spent under Larry Brown. But only Zeke could take a slightly tarnished but legendary coach and turn him into a basketcase unworthy of even getting a callback from a moribund Kings franchise. Other execs were able to get some performance out of Brown despite his difficult nature. Zeke got 23 wins and a new job title. Awesome.

#2: The Bulls Dealings
If Chicago wins a title this decade, the Bulls owe Isiah a ring. Here's essentially what Zeke gave up in exchange for the right to pay Jamal Crawford and Eddy Curry a combined $110 million: Tyrus Thomas, the difference between Joakim Noah and Wilson Chandler, two second-rounders and enough cap room for the Bulls to comfortably sign their glut of youngsters to extensions. On their own, the Curry and Crawford contracts are bad enough -- Curry's because of his heart/lack of rebounding prowess, Crawford because he's a constantly voluminous shooter who occasionally goes off. But when you give up two consecutive top-10 picks for the privilege of extending such largess? Pure insanity.

#1: The MSG Legal Disaster
We could do a 'five most damaging remarks Isiah was accused of making in Anucha Browne Sanders' civil suit against the Knicks' and have room for honorable mentions. The whole "I don't give a f--- about these white people" thing will stand out forever, and the taped explanation on the careful racial balance needed when calling a woman a bitch isn't falling from memory any time soon. In short (since we're talking about this at length elsewhere), Isiah was the central figure in the most embarrassing episode this franchise has ever seen. Making your team a laughingstock on the court is one thing. Making your team the biggest embarrassment in professional sports due to your personal misconduct is much worse.

(Dis)honorable Mentions:
The Jerome James/Jared Jeffries Signings
Going 4-14 After Getting His Contract Extended in 2006-07


So what is he leaving out?
-The Chaney/Letterman incident
-What else?

Bringing Starbust to NY.

classic stuff really this team truly is "the biggest embarassment in professional sports" because of isiah, that is just pathetic.

This is why I find it funny when people suggest that it would have been, and will be, impossible to find someone better.

Posted by islesfan:

This is why I find it funny when people suggest that it would have been, and will be, impossible to find someone better.

I suggest that the challenge would be to find someone worse.

I think Isiah handled that whole Chaney thing beautifully. All class

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1708761

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A00E0DF1030F937A25752C0A9629C8B63&n=Top%2FReference%2FTimes%20Topics%2FPeople%2FC%2FChaney%2C%20Don

[Edited by - bippity10 on 02-10-2007 4:44 PM]

If Isiah is fired as coach but not president will he have himself led out of the garden in handcuffs? And will he let himself return? All valid questions