Ranking the top 50 players in NBA history…
18. Isiah Thomas
Thomas is widely regarded as one of the greatest point guards in NBA history.
Drafted No. 2 overall by the Detroit Pistons in 1981 out of Indiana University, where he won an NCAA championship, Thomas quickly became the face of the Pistons.
Over his 13-year NBA career, all with Detroit, Thomas averaged 19.2 points, 9.3 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game. Thomas was a 12-time All-Star, earning All-NBA honors five times, including three First Team selections. He led the Pistons to back-to-back NBA championships in 1989 and 1990, earning Finals MVP in 1990 after a dominant performance against the Portland Trail Blazers.
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Known for his tenacity, quickness, and clutch play, “Zeke” was a key figure in the Bad Boys era, which saw the Pistons take on an overtly physical identity, with they emphasized in brutal rivalries with the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. Before Michael Jordan’s Bulls took over the Eastern Conference (and NBA), the Thomas’ Pistons kept MJ at bay.
He holds Pistons records for assists (9,061) and steals (1,861). Despite injuries shortening his prime, he retired in 1994. Post-retirement, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.
In an era dominated by bigger players, Thomas influenced an entire wave of point guards.
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But who ranks ahead of Thomas at No. 17 all-time?