NBA legend Isiah Thomas talks Detroit basketball and politics
Isiah Thomas in 1981 | Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University https://michiganadvance.com/2022/06/09/nba-legend-isiah-thomas-talks-detroit-basketball-and-politics/ The Detroit Pistons drafted Thomas on this day in 1981 By: Ken Coleman - June 9, 2022 5:13 am With the second overall pick, the Detroit Pistons drafted 20-year-old Isiah Thomas of Indiana University on June 9, 1981. Thomas, a Chicago native, quickly immersed himself in the Motor City and helped the National Basketball Association team go from last place to league champions by the 1988-89 and 1989-90 seasons. Thomas, who became friends with former Detroit Mayor Coleman A. Young, music legend Aretha Franklin, was among the notables who helped to host South African freedom fighter Nelson Mandela on his epic visit to Detroit on June 28, 1990. During an exclusive interview with the Advance, Thomas, a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and current cable NB...