When talking about the legends in Detroit basketball history, more recent players like Ben Wallace and Richard Hamilton come to mind first. However, older heads will argue how Isiah Thomas and Co. were the ones who brought the first two championship banners to the Pistons franchise. And IT seems to agree with that based on his latest interaction on X(formerly Twitter), where a fan commended his contributions to Detroit basketball.
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An X user uploaded a picture of the 1982 Basketball Digest magazine with Detroit Pistons legend, Isiah Thomas as the cover. The fan goes on to label Thomas as the savior of basketball culture in Detroit, as the magazine cover has the same open-ended caption.
“Let it be known that Isiah Thomas was the savior of Detroit Pistons basketball!!!”
Let it be known that Isiah Thomas was the savior of Detroit Pistons basketball!!! pic.twitter.com/TaRrLzJ0Sp
— Iffy The Dopester (@IffyTheDopester) June 11, 2024
The two-time NBA champion reposted the tweet on X, leaving the fan’s caption as is, implying his approval indirectly.
Isiah Thomas was the Pistons’ second overall pick in the 1982 NBA draft. Thomas averaged 17.0 points, 7.8 assists, and 2.1 rebounds per game in his very first year in the league.
The Pistons did go on to add more championship-caliber pieces like Joe Dumars and Dennis Rodman after drafting IT. But it was Thomas who was the team’s pioneer behind the back-to-back titles from 1988-90.
Detroit was not in good shape prior to drafting Thomas. The team was missing out on playoff action for the past five years, and in the last two years before the ‘82 draft, the Pistons only won a combined total of 37 games, losing the rest of the 127 matchups in the two seasons before.
Seeing Isiah Thomas make an instant impact on the floor, fans started pouring in and the 6’1 legend was quickly labeled as the savior of basketball in Detroit.
Isiah Thomas embracing the city of Detroit
Isiah Thomas was a native of Chicago, Illinois, and went to Indiana State before declaring for the NBA draft. Having the Bulls franchise in his hometown, Thomas was drafted by the Detroit Pistons instead. And the 12-time NBA All-Star had no problems making that switch from Chicago to Detroit according to MichiganAdvance.
“It wasn’t tough at all. The city and people and mainly, you know, the music industry embraced me right away…I hope you understand when I say this, I feel like I’m everybody’s brother or cousin or family relative and I’m grateful.”
It was just Thomas who loved all things Detroit but even the people and the Motor City community made Thomas a part of their homes, lives, and families. IT’s love for Detroit grew to the point where he decided to make the city his last stop as per Crain’sDetroit.
“My family and I decided this would be our last stop. I feel like I’m a part of everybody’s family in Detroit. Everyone who meets me when I’m here treats me like a relative. This is a wonderful place.”
Thomas felt right at home in Detroit as he embraced the city, its culture, and the people as well who had the same amount of love and respect for the basketball legend.
