Isiah Thomas Is Still a Bitter Man

For the umpteenth time, Zeke recounts his story of woe, this time to Fox Sports: “The exiled speaks of contemporaries who have not been banished with unusual candor. Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson — all of these men remain intricately involved in the league, respectively, as owner, general manager, color commentator. In Miami, Magic sits next to Pat Riley at games in full view. Isiah, when he goes, does so in the anonymity of a luxury box. Unseen. So, when asked about his place compared to such men, this is the response: ‘I have no problem saying this at all,’ he says. ‘They’re all 6-(feet)-9 and Jordan was 6-6 and a half. If they were all 6-1, it wouldn’t even be a question. They wouldn’t even f—ing rate. If they were all my size, s—, they wouldn’t even be talked about. I beat the s— out of them when they were that big. If we were all the same size, f—.’ He stops to laugh good-naturedly. ‘Make them 6-1 and let’s go on the court.’ Pride, hope, anger, frustration, self-belief and self-doubt, a flurry of facts and an ability to see things a certain way — all of these things mark a life in limbo.”