On a night in which a 120-112 road victory over Chicago might otherwise represent a genuine turning point for the Donnie Walsh/Mike D’Antoni Knicks, a man who managed to make mess of both of their jobs reemerged to breathe down the former’s (injured) neck. Former team president/head coach Isiah Thomas — ostensibly employed by Florida International University — tells ESPN New York’s Ian O’Connor, “I want to be on the float and I want to get my ring.”
Asked if he hopes to replace Donnie Walsh whenever the 69-year-old Knicks president retires, Thomas said, “Every single day of the week.”
“When I look at my GM/executive record, if I’m evaluated on that, then whoever’s after Donnie, if you’re not talking about some of the top people in the game, I’ll put my draft evaluation record up against anyone’s.”
If Zeke wants to lobby for a return to MSG before he’s managed to achieve anything at FIU, he might not have a clear understanding of what the words “career rehabilitation” mean, nor the tremendous animus harbored by virtually in the New York area who isn’t named James Dolan. If Thomas were to to omit the hiring of Larry Brown, the acquisitions of Stephon Marbury, Eddy Curry Jared Jeffries and Jerome James from his GM/executive record, there would be much to praise about this evaluation skills. Not including, of course, squandering a no. 20 overall pick on Renaldo Balkman rather than selecting some scrub named Rajon Rondo. And how can FIU tolerate Thomas constantly lobbying for a professional gig while on their payroll? Who does he think he is, Gary Carter?