TSN Archives: Isiah Thomas has had a bumpy rookie year (Feb. 20, 1982)
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/tsn-archives-isiah-thomas-has-had-bumpy-rookie-year-feb-20-1982/tci3a0kwldz5qipoegzhqqsg This cover story, by Jay Mariotti, first appeared in Feb. 20, 1982, issue of The Sporting News, under the headline " ISIAH: Pistons' Sparkplug Has Had a Bumpy Rookie Year ," just past the midpoint of the Detroit icon's first NBA season. At only 20, Thomas did, in fact, have a lot to learn — and learn he did. Two seasons later, the Pistons were in the playoffs. Six years later they were in the NBA Finals and in 1989, with Thomas at the helm, Detroit so-called "Bad Boys" won the first of back-to-back NBA titles. TSN Archives Jay Mariotti - The Sporting News 06-30-2022 - 13 min read DETROIT — The date was July 31, 1981. Isiah Thomas, a 20-year-old guard from Indiana University, had just signed a four-year, $1.6 million contract to play basketball for the Detroit Pistons . It should have been a moment of great joy and accomplishmen