15 Years Before Michael Jordan, Isiah Thomas Achieved NBA History by Becoming Toronto Raptors Owner

In addition to his on-court dominance, Michael Jordan is also widely regarded as one of the most successful athlete-businessmen of all time. Jordan’s post-retirement legacy includes building several brands and making high-return investments. He is the gold standard for players transitioning into the business world.

But there’s one key milestone that Jordan was beaten to by none other than his longtime nemesis, Isiah Thomas. During a conversation with Forbes’ Jabari Young, Zeke talked about how he became a minority owner of the Toronto Raptors in 1995.

He became the first Black NBA owner of an international franchise. Although Zeke made history by purchasing minority stakes in the Raptors, the thing that he’s most proud of is how successful the Raptors have been. He said, “There was one that started in Toronto and one in Vancouver [now Memphis]…Toronto is still standing and they’ve won a championship.”

The NBA legend was deeply involved in every decision made for the franchise. He said, “Everything, from the colors…from the mascot, to the cheerleaders…We were first to integrate our dance pack because most of the dance teams used to be all-female. We were the first ones to say, it’s some brothers that can dance too.”

Thomas believes that other NBA teams were influenced by the pathbreaking decisions made by the Raptors and have followed in their footsteps. He also credited the Raptors for boasting the most diverse crowd in the league. Zeke truly was a visionary as he saw an opportunity to become an owner and took the risk.

In addition to that and in the context of his rivalry with Michael Jordan, Thomas became the owner of an NBA team 15 years before MJ did it with the Hornets. Zeke welcomed that opportunity as a compliment from the league.

Isiah Thomas once spoke about the responsibility of being an owner

In his playing days, Thomas was rough as an athlete, leading a pack that went by the name ‘Bad Boys.’ But even with the reputation they had in the league, Thomas was seen as a great leader. So, a year after his retirement, when the NBA was expanding, he received the opportunity to become part-owner.

During an interview with Forbes in 2020, he said, “For someone who had just left the playing floor, for the NBA to really give you that major responsibility of going to Canada and introducing their first franchise outside of the United States.”

Zeke was thrilled to have that responsibility so early in his post-retirement life. He also acknowledged it as a compliment.

“It was a huge responsibility, but it was also a huge compliment,” he added. When the Raptors became the first international franchise to win an NBA title, he was even more proud of the work he did with the franchise while laying its foundation.