Isiah Thomas might have missed out on ‘The Dream Team’ but has the most Hall of Fame Presenter selections

Isiah Thomas has come a long way in terms of respect he has gained over the years from the players at least.

‘Zeke’ was one of the most hated people among the legends of basketball. The second closest to him, whomever it might be, whichever era he belongs to, would be miles and miles behind him if you consider the generations of fans that hate the legendary point guard.

Since the release of The Last Dance, the docuseries about Michael Jordan’s journey and last season with the Bulls, that hate has grown even stronger.

It wasn’t for nothing, though. The 2x NBA champ was pretty salty after losing to the Bulls in the Playoffs for the first time in his career, despite years of torment that he and his Bad Boy Pistons put them through before that win.

Also read: Michael Jordan gave Isiah Thomas 49 reasons to never “freeze him out” of an All-Star game

But not shaking hands with your opponents is obviously not that big a deal to not include a 12x All-Star and one of the greatest point guards in the game’s history in the Olympic Team.

That too for the 1992 Olympics, after which the US Men National Basketball Team would become “The Dream Team” and go down in the history as the best team of all sports.

Isiah Thomas probably has the most appearances as a Hall of Fame presenter

From getting snubbed from the greatest team ever to literally having the most appearances as the Hall of Fame presenter for new enshrinement every year, Thomas must be very proud of how most of the NBA stars have looked up to him over the years when his generation of players and fans didn’t.

Thanks to this Redditor who brought our attention to it.

One might think that it has to do with Thomas’ close relationship with the NBA, but it cannot be possible that anybody who brings him up for their enshrinement always has an Isiah story from their early NBA days to tell about.

He has been always available as a mentor to anyone and everyone who approaches him to seek guidance regarding either the game of basketball, career development, or financial growth.

Even, the likes of Shaquille O’Neal who has made a $400M fortune after retirement from basketball, credit Zeke for being a mentor both on and off the court.

Also read: Knicks GM Isiah Thomas, who Michael Jordan loathed, signed a fluke in 2005 on a 5-year $30 million deal

So, he did balance his wrongdoings and became a much-beloved legend at least among the players.

However, big Jordan is an idol, the billionaire is nowhere as close as Thomas in being a guide or mentor to even one single soul besides Kobe Bryant, maybe.

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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