Bill Davidson on Isiah Thomas
On the eve of his induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame, Pistons owner Bill Davidson sat down for a Q&A with Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press. The most fascinating part of the exchange was this cryptic yet very telling explanation of the feud between Davidson and Isiah Thomas.
Q: Who's your best-ever Pistons hire?
A: I'd have to separate that between players and others.
Q: OK. Who's the best player?
A: I'd say the best player we ever drafted was Isiah Thomas.
Q: Can you say anything -- and I recognize it's been a complex relationship over the years -- about the falling out you two had at the end of his playing career?
A: Well, I was very, very close to Isiah, and there were times he was almost like a son. But, because of his background, um ... I told him he had to change -- you know, coming from where he came from. I said, "You've got it made now. Don't keep doing those things that you've been doing." I won't tell you what they are. But he couldn't change.
Q: And that's why he didn't have a future with the Pistons?
A: Right.
Q: Had he been able to change, would you have envisioned him having a lifelong career in the front office?
A: Yeah, certainly.
Q: Had you discussed that at one point with him?
A: I wouldn't go that far.
Q: But in your mind you had considered that a possibility?
A: If you know the relationship was like a son -- I was trying to counsel him -- the subject of his future relationship and what his job would be never came up. Because he had to change first.
Q: To use your metaphor -- he didn't take his father's counsel?
A: No.
Q: What's your relationship with him at this point?
A: We're the best of friends.
Q: How did it heal?
A: One day I decided -- this was about five years ago -- that there's only one guy that I'm really not friendly with. So I called Isiah up, and I said Isiah (chuckling) -- before I go to my grave -- you know, whenever I do -- I want you and I to be friends.
Q: Interesting.
A: So we hug each other now -- and you know we just had the reunion. We're the best of friends today.
Q: Why was it important to you to make peace? Did it have to do with getting older?
A: Right. As you get closer to the end, you say ... there's one exception. I want to cure that exception.
Q: And he didn't know why you were calling?
A: No. In a way he didn't understand -- never has quite understood ...
Q: What happened?
A: Right.
Q: Did you feel a need to go into all that?
A: No, no. There was no point in going into it. ...We just come from different backgrounds. He had to fight his way up, and I didn't have the problems he had growing up. There's a lot of good things about Isiah, but when we had our parting, it was over something pretty substantial.
Very interesting stuff. Is it worth calling the Knicks to see if Isiah is available for comment?
