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Chat Reel: Isiah Thomas
CBA owner talks expansion, integration with NBA
Posted: Tuesday June 06, 2000 05:13 PM
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Zeke of All Trades: Isiah Thomas owns the CBA but has been mentioned prominently among coaching, G.M. candidates. Doug Pensinger/Allsport |
CNNSI Host: Welcome to today's chat with Isiah Thomas. Hi Isiah. Thanks for joining us.
Isiah Thomas: Thanks for having me.
From Richard Fields in Salt Lake City, Utah: Isiah, I want to open by saying that hands down you're my favorite player of all time (even Jordan and Magic are a distant second). I've read about plans for the CBA to play some NCAA teams. What are your long-term plans for the league and how does the possibility that the NBA may develop another minor league in Europe affect those plans?
Isiah Thomas: I think there's room for the NBA, NCAA and CBA to work together in a collective effort. What's happening with the guys leaving school early it's important that we continue to stress that athletics and academics go hand in hand. With NCAA and CBA players playing against each other, it's a good chance for the NCAA players to gauge their skills. And we will continue to stress education in the CBA by teaching life skills to NCAA players in the exhibition competitions.
From Bill Gregozeski in Port Washington, Wis.: Is the CBA moving in the direction to be a farm system similar to baseball, where each CBA team will have players affiliated to each NBA team?
Isiah Thomas: That's an answer that only the NBA and the Players Association can answer that. We see ourselves as a conduit to the NCAA and the NBA - we service both. If the NBA and the Players Association want 1-to-1 affiliation, we'll be in position to service both the NBA and the Players Association.
From Guest: What do you think about the matchup between the Lakers and Pacers? What kind of series do you think it will be? Care to comment on who you think will come out on top?
Isiah Thomas: I like the Pacers, I'm picking them in six. I like the veterans on the team and their intellectual savvy. When you look at Miller and Rose, I think Rice will have a difficult time guarding Miller or Rose. I just like the intellectual capacity of the Pacers.
From Keith Rollinson in Raleigh, N.C.: What do you think about Patrick Ewing being criticized by everyone? Do you feel that he should hang it up or do you think he has some more juice left along with something to offer to the team?
Isiah Thomas: I think he definitely has 2-3 more good years left in him. I think, when you look at the dominant centers in the East, he's among the top three. I think New York was wrecked by injuries this year - Ewing, Sprewell, Camby and Houston all had injuries. I don't think Patrick should hang it up.
From BadBoys: Being a former Indiana great, what is your stance on the Bobby Knight situation? Describe YOUR experience with him.
Isiah Thomas: I am pro-Bobby Knight. I'm happy that he was able to maintain and keep his job. I had good experiences at Indiana. Myself, I am, just I'm sure like he is, looking forward to following the rules and being responsible.
From Guest in Los Angeles: Will he be able to coach well under these conditions?
Isiah Thomas: I think that the Bobby Knight that most people see is the one that you get the highlight reel from. The one we all know and have watched coach, his ability to communicate verbally will far exceed any restrains placed on his coaching ability.
From CfbStew: Isiah, has your opinion of your former coach Bob Knight been changed at all by some of the allegations that have surfaced?
Isiah Thomas: No, if anything it's cemented my perception of his as a good coach and person. A lot of time what's happens, the traditions that our parents used when raising kids in the past - Bob Knight has lasted so long I would say that the conditions of coaching has changed. Bob Knight came from the era of Lombardi, Parcells and Schembechler - ones who demanded that you take responsibility for your actions. Now coaches tolerate and accept all sorts of things. Things I'm proud coach Knight has never accepted - even his own behavior.
From Guest: Do you, Isiah Thomas, feel that the Indiana Hoosiers are building enough talent together to make a final run under Bob Knight to the NCAA championship?
Isiah Thomas: Yes, I do. I believe that Bob Knight's coaching is so good that, if you look at the teams we've had, the talent hasn't been what some other schools have had. But at Indiana, coach Knight has always done more with less. I think they will always be an NCAA tournament team and a championship-caliber team because of his coaching ability.
From The Little O. in Philadelphia: Are you interested in coaching in the NBA? If so, would you be able to maintain your interest in the CBA?
Isiah Thomas: I think, as I stated earlier, between the NCAA, NBA and CBA, we'll find ways to work together. Whether I'm coaching or not, it's going to be imperative for teh 3 bodies to work together to solve the problems we face in sports.
From DN99: Is there a potential of a "Kurt Warner" coming from the CBA. A player that can step to the NBA and become an MVP?
Isiah Thomas: Most definitely - when you look at the type of talent that has come out of CBA, Anthony Mason, John Starks, Chris Childs and Phil Jackson coached in the CBA, as did George Karl. The talent we have in the CBA, when it moves to the NBA, it represents itself well. In the CBA we have the second-best talent that's playing anywhere in the world today.
From Sean: What do you think of the situation with Grant Hill and the newly promoted Joe Dumars? Is Grant going to stay?
Isiah Thomas: I think that decision will entirely be up to Grant. I know he and Joe have discussed this. At the end of the day, Grant wants to win a championship and it depends on if he has the faith in Dumars to put together a championship team - if he decided to stay.
From Guest: In the NBA Finals, what can the Pacers do to stop Shaq?
Isiah Thomas: Basically the same thing Portland did - you make them a perimeter team and limit Shaq's touches - play a collapsing defense and force Shaq to shoot over the top.
From Louman101: Are there any new markets that you can see the CBA expanding into?
Isiah Thomas: We are look at expanding into as many as 10 markets in the next 3 years. We're looking to expand into smaller cities, with 5-7000-seat arenas. Cities that we would call emerging, domestic sports markets. Cities such as Gary, Ind., Allentown, Pa., the west coast of Ontario and California, and Harlem and Brooklyn, N.Y. to name a few.
From Guest: Are you concerned as owner of the league with the many franchise disruptions in the past few years such as the Oklahoma City Cavalry? What can be done to improve the marketability of the CBA?
Isiah Thomas: If you look at the model of the CBA when I bought the league, I converted it to a single-entity model, where it's league-owned, marketing is centralized, we take advantage of economies of scale. The two things we added to the CBA, which I think it lacked, is management and marketing.
From Guest: In your opinion, who will be the No. 1 pick in the 2000 NBA draft?
Isiah Thomas: I think it can go either way because I don't think there's a clear No. 1 coming out of college. There's no dominant player that's going to turn your franchise around - it just depends on which team has the No. 1 pick as to who will be the first pick.
CNNSI Host: That's all the time we have for today. Thanks again for joining us, Isiah.
Isiah Thomas: You're welcome.
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