Episode 20 - Isiah Thomas

On the latest episode of the Rex Chapman show with Josh Hopkins, the guys are joined by Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas. One of the most celebrated point guards and one of the greatest 50 players of All-Time, Zeke has a lot to say about his upbringing that led to his NBA career. 5:00 - How did Rex Chapman and Isiah Thomas become such fast friends? 5:45 - Josh gushes over his new friend Isiah Thomas, and his matchups against his favorite Kentucky player, Dirk Minniefield. 7:30 - Why did Isiah end up going to Indiana and playing for Bob Knight? 11:00 - Playing for Bob Knight, and the disconnect from coach to player, especially when the Chicago native was called a "Hot Dog". 15:00 - The importance of education and the path Isiah took to get out of poverty outside of just being a basketball player. 17:20 - Isiah talked about being raised in such a rough environment in Chicago, with the help of his brothers and sisters. 23:00 - Rex and Isiah discuss the changes to Name, Image and Likeness for college athletes and how they made decisions to leave school in order to help their families. It's crazy they had to go through it, but are thankful the next generation has it better. 31:30 - Rex recalls his first time playing against Isiah Thomas and just being in awe of the Bad Boy Pistons. Isiah said he truly felt an out of body experience when he scored 25 in a quarter on the Lakers on a bad ankle. 36:00 - Isiah speaks on his relationship with Michael Jordan, and how when he entered the league, he was just another guy. 41:20 - He sees some of his game in Chris Paul and loves how much confidence Devin Booker has been playing with. 48:40 - What made the Bad Boys Pistons so tough was their mental fortitude, not just their physicality. 55:00 - Isiah admitted it would be a lot harder watching that iconic Celtics moment if he hadn't won back-to-back with the Pistons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices