Isiah Thomas is returning to the New York Knicks, whether Knicks fans like it or not.
The Pistons Hall of Fame designated guard who worked for the Knicks in various post-game capacities is rejoining the franchise as a member of the newly formed board of directors.
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The board is being formed as part of a business split between the Knicks and the New York Rangers. The two franchises are currently managed by MSG Sports, which is owned by CEO and Knicks president James Dolan.
According to The Athletic, MSG Sports announced on Wednesday that the Knicks and Rangers have officially split into separate business partners following approval this week from their board of directors.
The Rangers and their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, will now be handled under the MSG Rangers Corp. MSG Sports Corp. MSG will become the Knickerbockers, and will oversee the Knicks and their G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks. Dolan will serve as chairman and CEO of both companies.
And Thomas, a longtime acquaintance of Dolan, will serve on the MSG Knickerbocker Corp. board.
Isiah Thomas remained trusted by James Dolan despite his past failures with the Knicks.
(Associated Press)
Thomas Knicks
Thomas spent his entire NBA career of 13 seasons with the Pistons, whom he led to two NBA championships. But he has been closely associated with the Knicks in various capacities, none of them successful.
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The Knicks first hired Thomas in 2003 as president of basketball operations. He was torn apart by a franchise that lost in the first round of the playoffs in his first season and missed the next four years as president.
The Knicks never won more than 33 games under Thomas’ watch. They finished with the second-worst record in the NBA in 2005-06 at 23-59, tying the franchise record for losses at the time.
In 2006, an MSG executive accused Thomas of sexual harassment in a lawsuit that later settled MSG for $11.5 million. That same year, the Knicks fired head coach Larry Brown, and Thomas took to the sideline. At the same time, he served as the Knicks’ president and head coach.
In two seasons with Thomas in both roles, the Knicks went 33-49 and 23-59, again tying the franchise’s record for losses in 2007-08.
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The Knicks fired Thomas as head coach in 2008. Even then, he was invited to stay with the franchise in an advisory capacity, later resigning from president Donnie Walsh. In 2009, Thomas accepted the head coaching job at Florida International.
James Dolan kept Thomas close
Thomas remained trusted by Dolan throughout, and Dolan hired him again in 2015 as the coach of the WNBA’s New York Liberty, which he then owned. When Dolan sold the franchise to Joseph Tsai in 2019, Thomas was relieved of his duties as head coach.
Thomas worked on the board of directors at the Sphere, a high-tech entertainment venue in Las Vegas that was also run by Dolan.
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And now Thomas is back in an official capacity with the Knicks, fresh off their first NBA title since 1973. It’s unclear how much influence Thomas will exert over the team beyond just his role as a board member.