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Chris Tomasson is a general assignment columnist for FOX Sports and FOX Sports Florida, bringing fans an inside look at their favorite teams in South Florida. Chris spent the last decade covering the NBA, most recently as a Senior NBA writer for AOL FanHouse.

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October 6, 2011

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Isiah Thomas has been an NBA player, coach and executive. But there's no question where his loyalty lies.

So for those wondering if Thomas — who is helping organize a Saturday charity game with Miami stars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh — is standing alongside players in the NBA lockout, there's no need to wonder.

"I was the president of the Players Association," Thomas said in an interview Thursday with FOX Sports Florida, referring to his stint from 1987-94, when he was concluding a Hall of Fame career with Detroit. "At the end of the day, I'm with the players .… I was a player. That's my allegiance."

So Thomas, now coach at Florida International University, had no qualms when a James representative contacted him about a month ago to put on a game at his school involving locked-out NBA stars. The South Florida All-Star Classic will be Saturday, and should be the highlight of all charity games during the lockout.

The approximately 4,000 tickets priced at $50 and $100 sold out Monday in less than two hours. For those left out, tickets are being offered on Craigslist for as much as $350 apiece.

"This is unbelievable for our school and for the fans in Miami," Thomas said of all the hubbub, which includes the game being televised locally.

Fans will see something they can't now at a Heat game. Thomas said it will be "great for everyone" that James and Wade each head a team and will guard each other.

There figure to be plenty more impressive matchups. Other stars expected to play include Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, and John Wall.

But, obviously, the lure is the Heat's three stars. It's the first time they'll step on the same court together since losing Game 6 of the NBA Finals last June and watching the Dallas Mavericks hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

"I'm in awe of the magnitude those three guys have when they come together," Thomas said.

Thomas even thinks some defense will be played.

"They'll have some fun, but I think it'll be extremely competitive," he said. "We've had some discussions that we want this game to be competitive because it potentially could be their last game before training camp (if the lockout soon ends)."

Thomas said it "means a lot" the game will benefit Mary's Court Foundation, a charity established in the memory of Mary Thomas, Thomas' late mother, that benefits literacy and education programs for the poor in Thomas' native Chicago. Thomas said seven Chicago inner-city high schools will benefit, and there are plans eventually to have the charity expand to Miami.

Thomas is entering his third season coaching Florida International on the west side of Miami. He went 7-25 in his first season before improving to 11-19.

"I know today from where we started the program it's 100 times better than when I got the job," said Thomas, optimistic about this season.

Still, a question facing Thomas is whether he might stick around a while with the Golden Panthers or whether he's looking to get back to the NBA at the first possible chance.

Since he retired as a player, Thomas' NBA jobs have included being executive vice president and a part owner for Toronto, Indiana coach and president of basketball operations and coach for New York. He was fired by the Knicks in 2008 after a disastrous 56-108 mark in two seasons on the bench.

"I'm happy where I'm at right now," Thomas said. "Wherever life leads me, my job is prepare myself educationally and to be physically healthy for whatever life (presents)."

Thomas in August 2010 had planned to return to the Knicks as a consultant while keeping his job at Florida International. But the NBA announced that violated league rules. So Thomas played no role for the Knicks last season when the pairing of Stoudemire and Anthony led them to their first playoff berth in seven years.

"I'm still a part of New York, and I'm happy (for the team's improvement)," Thomas said. "I'm a fan. I want the Knicks to win."

For now, nobody's winning in the NBA. The lockout has been in effect since July 1, and the entire preseason schedule already has been canceled. Commissioner David Stern says the first two weeks of the regular season will be wiped out if no deal is reached by Monday.

Thomas said he's not in the prediction business on whether that will happen. But he wishes NBA owners and players now had the same relationship they once did.

"(Union director) Billy Hunter and David Stern, I think they really do want to do a deal," Thomas sad. "There are a lot of new owners and a lot of new players in the league. Owners and players have always been on the same page when it came to a partnership to make the game better. I think right now that partnership, that relationship needs to be brought back to the front burner as opposed to the back burner."

OK, Thomas admits the partnership had a "crack in the cement" when a 1998-99 lockout cut the season to 50 games. But that was four years after Thomas' run as union president ended, a period he said had harmony between owners and players.

Thomas has served on both sides in his NBA years. But he still considers himself an advocate for players, something he said always helped him in his other NBA roles due to being able to understand their mindset.

"In these economic times … there has to be some cuts and adjustments and the players understand that," Thomas said of the lockout. "These are tough times. But players have shown a willingness to make some concessions and make cuts."

Thomas remains popular with current NBA players. Stoudemire and Joe Johnson have been working out all summer at Florida International and Thomas says they eat in the school cafeteria.

http://www.foxsportsflorida.com/10/06/11/Thomas-standing-with-players-in-NBA-lock/landing_heat.html?blockID=576560&feedID=3720

No more about Thomas, please.

His rings would only make me want to have him in a pickup game. Except for the fact he'd probably destroy the game talking **** the whole time.

He's already back in the NBA, or did you not see him commenting on our D coach?

To get you guys fired up all you have to do is mention Thomas name. Look we haven't won a ring in almost 40 years. There is plenty of blame to go around.Thomas thought he could buy his way to a ring and it didn't work. He is now gone so forget about him and let's move on. Look at it this way. Because of Thomas we now have the team we have with his poor judgment which caused us to bring in Walsh. If Thomas was doing just a little better like splitting the season and getting to the play-off and then loosing in the first round, he might still be here with no ring in sight.

We have moved on and he keeps following us.

Isiah is like our Zombie. Just keeps gravitating back to our stream of concioiusness.

Isiah is not gone, he is in Remission.

Isiah is like a fungus, you get most of it but it grows back.

Papabear wrote:Papabear

To get you guys fired up all you have to do is mention Thomas name. Look we haven't won a ring in almost 40 years. There is plenty of blame to go around.Thomas thought he could buy his way to a ring and it didn't work. He is now gone so forget about him and let's move on. Look at it this way. Because of Thomas we now have the team we have with his poor judgment which caused us to bring in Walsh. If Thomas was doing just a little better like splitting the season and getting to the play-off and then loosing in the first round, he might still be here with no ring in sight.

You always try and justify Isiah Thomas every single time.

Stop wasting your time. Nobody will ever forgive Isiah.

DrAlphaeus wrote:Well if Isiah could have kept the Continental Basketball Association from going bankrupt, he could have provided domestic pro competition to the NBA and could have poached locked-out stars and become the new ABA. I want to hear him talk about that.

Not to defend Isiah, lord knows otherwise, but by now Im sure the CBA would have been the bonafide minor league teams if the little dummy would have not been so stubborn. That as the only way to survive. He ask too high a price and NBA decided to develop their own league.

If Isiah was not himself, he might be a general partner with his own team by now. Instead he is at Lil' FIU but has a very good best-est friend in Dolan indeed!

CrushAlot wrote:@FisolaNYDN
Frank Isola
Isiah Thomas says that Amar'e has looked good in workouts at FIU. Also praised Amar'e for sitting in on classes with the FIU players.

CrushAlot wrote:More Isiah stuff from last night's event:

Winderman later added on Twitter: “ Balls used in game were NBA regulation, stamped “New York Knicks.” Wonder how they got there?”

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, from Miami: “‘He’s been great down here,” Isiah Thomas said of Stoudemire. “He shows up, works hard every day. He’s even eating in the cafeteria with (the students), sitting in class with them for two hours. He’s about education himself and continuing his knowledge and his thirst for knowledge. I told (Stoudemire) the other day, the biggest thing he’s done for these kids down here is not spending two hours on the gym floor talking about jumpers and layups. He spent two hours in the classroom with them, then came back and spent another two hours in the classroom with them. He’s into learning more and being a true renaissance man.”

http://sheridanhoops.com/2011/10/09/nba-lockout-update-7/

Amare's trying to turn into Danny Devito?

DurzoBlint wrote:

Moonangie wrote:Isaiah, please go away.

I loath the man as much anyone but, I blame the media for constantly sticking a mic in his face.

Also, for a charity event that helps autism, he can speak all he wants for as long as he wants.

Thomas said it "means a lot" the game will benefit Mary's Court Foundation, a charity established in the memory of Mary Thomas, Thomas' late mother, that benefits literacy and education programs for the poor in Thomas' native Chicago.