That performance of Thomas was Legendary! Sorry M.J fans but I have to pay my respect to Isiah '' The Baby-Faced Assassin '' Thomas. His place was as a starting point guard in Dream Team 1.
Nope. Even if the pistons won, this wouldn’t be the greatest performance in a close out finals game. There would still be two better: MJ in 98 Magic in 80
@@manan612 Jordan didn't play on a sprain ankle. Indeed this was much more epic. The will of this man, playing on one ankle is like watching Kobe play under harsh physical conditions.
Thomas really sprained his ankle and was in pain... He was in the Zone before the injury and just went to a whole different level after he got hurt. To this day, I've never seen anything like that in finals history. 25pts in one Quarter, and was even more explosive scoring the basket after he got hurt. Incredible
Yep that 3rd quarter is legendary. Grew up in Detroit and Zeek is a legend, except for that inbounds pass Bird stole with no time left. Still reeling over that. Nearly killed me as a kid lol
If you ever want to see greatness, just enjoy that final shot he made in the 3rd quarter. LEGENDARY! 1-he ran from one side of the baseline to the other just to get the ball. 2-he was being guarded by a player 6 inches taller who the previous year was the DPOY winner. 3-he took the ball, dribbled one way, reversed his dribble and shot a turnaround jump shot the opposite way ALONG THE BASELINE from over 20 feet away . That was some Big O, Connie Hawkins Bingo Smith type shit from a 6-1 guy.
I agree with comment below this was a better performance than the flu game and it’s not even close Zeke is not even 6 feet tall and he was on one leg respect Zeke your a true warrior and role model
I like CP3 but to me the greatest "small" guard in the history of the NBA is Isiah Lord Thomas from the west side of Chicago. He had it all and was incredible.
Here is what was most remarkable and about that performance, the size of the defenders . Isiah started the quarter torching 6-4 Byron Scott until they bumped knees and Scott went to the bench. Then 6-7 Michael Cooper tried to defend him . There were plays when 6-9 Magic Johnson, 6-9 James Worthy and 6-9 AC Green were left flatfooted. Imagine in the neighborhood 4-1 Pipsqueak went around kicking every 6-5 tough guy's asses. That's exactly what that 3rd quarter was.
Imagine if this is the game the Pistons win the title (which it was if not for a terrible call), Isiah then joins MJ, Russell, Mikan and Shaq as the only players to be the best player on a three-peat Champion. Incredible! The best little man ever - BAR NONE!
@@manan612 please stop it! Did Curry take his high school team to a state title game? Did Curry lead the USA to a gold medal before he played his first college game? Did Curry lead his college team to a national title? Did Curry as a 20 year old have the highest scoring debut in the past 45 plus years? Did Curry start the NBA All Star Game as a 20 year old rookie? Isiah Thomas made teammates HOF level guys. Show me who Curry made better.
@@123slasher.16 I’m sorry but there is simply no comparison between Curry and Isiah Thomas. While you bought up College and Olympic play, I’ll use their NBA careers. Curry leads Isiah throughout. He’s got more Championships, MVP’s, Scoring Titles and All NBA selections. He’s far more efficient than Isiah while scoring at a more prolific rate. While it’s true that Isiah made guys better, Curry has done the same. Everyone excels while playing with Curry. Just ask KD. Curry didn’t start the All star Game at 20 or have the highest scoring debut but he was on the All Rookie team same as Isiah. Tell me when Isiah Thomas had a 50-40-90 season while averaging 30. Curry’s 3 point shooting kills the argument entirely puts him close to being an all time top 10 player than Isiah ever was. Isiah is not even top 20.
@@manan612 here's what you are missing. Isiah was versatile, Curry is not. Isiah could deliver the best point guard play you ever saw one game and outplay any shooting guard historically the next game. Curry can't run a offense nowhere nearly as good as Isiah. Defensively, there is no comparison. Isiah was a bulldog on the ball defender, who athletically could block shots for his size and still get in there and rebound on that same defensive sequence to get the ball away from the offense. Now shooting, Curry is better, but Isiah could score from anywhere against any player regardless of size. I would love to see Curry WITHOUT teammates setting screens for him take LeBron, Kawhi or Gianni's off the dribble and get anywhere he wanted to get his points consistently. Isiah's entire career was attacking bigger star players . I watched both and I'm sorry, Curry is one dimensional, Isiah is incredible, the reasons he was competing for titles in high school, college, international play and the NBA.
@@manan612 by the way, Detroit never used Isiah to be a 30 point scorer, but if that's what they needed, he certainly could have done it. Remember that era was really physical and Curry would not have been able to take the punishment the way Isiah did. Curry is what Mark Price was in that era and the pounding Price took hampered his career. Don't be a prisoner of the moment. As far as shooting, Curry is superior. But the rest of the skills, Isiah Thomas was superior. That's why bigger players hated him because he showed so many of them up. When it comes to talent and skills, Isiah Thomas is a all time Top 10 TALENT. That's why he is one of the few players EVER to be a Final Four MOP and NBA Finals MVP and a back to back NBA champion. He's also the smallest guy to win both. You don't get that without incredible skills.
2:15 This is huge for me.. I think most people, if they've scored 14 points in a row.. IN THE FINALS.. and they're on a fast break, would be in so much of an adrenalin high they would try to score it again!
Idk why they don’t put more respect on this mans name. I’ve seen a lot of pgs but 1. Magic 2 isiah or curry. Zeke gets no love and we got ripped off at the end of this game. One of the greatest performances I’ve ever seen considering nba finals w injury.
Isiah gets much respect from those who played against him and witnessed his greatness. He was the best point guard of his era - even better than Magic. Magic is the most acclaimed and decorated point guard of all-time. But Isiah surpassed him as a player no later than 1986. He cemented his superiority over Magic in their two finals confrontations. That's why Magic hit him with that forearm in the 1988 Finals. That was Magic saying "I'm tired of him cooking me on national television."
That performance of Thomas was Legendary! Sorry M.J fans but I have to pay my respect to Isiah '' The Baby-Faced Assassin '' Thomas. His place was as a starting point guard in Dream Team 1.
Had the refs not hosed us with that phantom foul, this would've been the greatest finals-clinching game of all time.
True Words
Absolutely
Nope. Even if the pistons won, this wouldn’t be the greatest performance in a close out finals game. There would still be two better:
MJ in 98
Magic in 80
@@manan612 Jordan didn't play on a sprain ankle. Indeed this was much more epic. The will of this man, playing on one ankle is like watching Kobe play under harsh physical conditions.
@@manan612 kiss my ass...Isiah was playing hurt
Thomas really sprained his ankle and was in pain... He was in the Zone before the injury and just went to a whole different level after he got hurt. To this day, I've never seen anything like that in finals history. 25pts in one Quarter, and was even more explosive scoring the basket after he got hurt. Incredible
Yep that 3rd quarter is legendary. Grew up in Detroit and Zeek is a legend, except for that inbounds pass Bird stole with no time left. Still reeling over that. Nearly killed me as a kid lol
This performance is better than the Flu Game performance...
A million X better than the flu snooze game MJ had
They lost
mansonlamps no shit ... individual performance really the NBA actually forced an LA win of this series ... and cheated against the Pistons
Bearded Aquarian_78 if it was better than flu game he would have had to get the W
Bearded Aquarian_78 n they cheated in game 7 btw not this game
If you ever want to see greatness, just enjoy that final shot he made in the 3rd quarter.
LEGENDARY!
1-he ran from one side of the baseline to the other just to get the ball.
2-he was being guarded by a player 6 inches taller who the previous year was the DPOY winner.
3-he took the ball, dribbled one way, reversed his dribble and shot a turnaround jump shot the opposite way ALONG THE BASELINE from over 20 feet away .
That was some Big O, Connie Hawkins Bingo Smith type shit from a 6-1 guy.
Lol...
I agree with comment below this was a better performance than the flu game and it’s not even close Zeke is not even 6 feet tall and he was on one leg respect Zeke your a true warrior and role model
I like CP3 but to me the greatest "small" guard in the history of the NBA is Isiah Lord Thomas from the west side of Chicago. He had it all and was incredible.
I'd rate Allen Iverson and John Stockton ahead of Chris Paul also...and of course Steph Curry if you count him in that category
Isiah Thomas was such a phenomenal guy player. The rest of the league was lucky he wasn’t 4 inches taller!
Isaiah Thomas was one of the baddest point guard ever
Pistons should've won 3 finals but that phantom foul robbed them. Isiah and Dumars were a great duo.
They had Rodman n lambier too
Here is what was most remarkable and about that performance, the size of the defenders .
Isiah started the quarter torching 6-4 Byron Scott until they bumped knees and Scott went to the bench.
Then 6-7 Michael Cooper tried to defend him .
There were plays when 6-9 Magic Johnson, 6-9 James Worthy and 6-9 AC Green were left flatfooted.
Imagine in the neighborhood 4-1 Pipsqueak went around kicking every 6-5 tough guy's asses.
That's exactly what that 3rd quarter was.
Imagine if this is the game the Pistons win the title (which it was if not for a terrible call), Isiah then joins MJ, Russell, Mikan and Shaq as the only players to be the best player on a three-peat Champion.
Incredible!
The best little man ever - BAR NONE!
He’s nowhere close to Steph Curry as the best little man ever. Get a grip.
@@manan612 please stop it!
Did Curry take his high school team to a state title game?
Did Curry lead the USA to a gold medal before he played his first college game?
Did Curry lead his college team to a national title?
Did Curry as a 20 year old have the highest scoring debut in the past 45 plus years?
Did Curry start the NBA All Star Game as a 20 year old rookie?
Isiah Thomas made teammates HOF level guys.
Show me who Curry made better.
@@123slasher.16 I’m sorry but there is simply no comparison between Curry and Isiah Thomas.
While you bought up College and Olympic play, I’ll use their NBA careers. Curry leads Isiah throughout. He’s got more Championships, MVP’s, Scoring Titles and All NBA selections. He’s far more efficient than Isiah while scoring at a more prolific rate.
While it’s true that Isiah made guys better, Curry has done the same. Everyone excels while playing with Curry. Just ask KD.
Curry didn’t start the All star Game at 20 or have the highest scoring debut but he was on the All Rookie team same as Isiah. Tell me when Isiah Thomas had a 50-40-90 season while averaging 30.
Curry’s 3 point shooting kills the argument entirely puts him close to being an all time top 10 player than Isiah ever was. Isiah is not even top 20.
@@manan612 here's what you are missing.
Isiah was versatile, Curry is not.
Isiah could deliver the best point guard play you ever saw one game and outplay any shooting guard historically the next game.
Curry can't run a offense nowhere nearly as good as Isiah.
Defensively, there is no comparison.
Isiah was a bulldog on the ball defender, who athletically could block shots for his size and still get in there and rebound on that same defensive sequence to get the ball away from the offense.
Now shooting, Curry is better, but Isiah could score from anywhere against any player regardless of size.
I would love to see Curry WITHOUT teammates setting screens for him take LeBron, Kawhi or Gianni's off the dribble and get anywhere he wanted to get his points consistently.
Isiah's entire career was attacking bigger star players .
I watched both and I'm sorry, Curry is one dimensional, Isiah is incredible, the reasons he was competing for titles in high school, college, international play and the NBA.
@@manan612 by the way, Detroit never used Isiah to be a 30 point scorer, but if that's what they needed, he certainly could have done it.
Remember that era was really physical and Curry would not have been able to take the punishment the way Isiah did.
Curry is what Mark Price was in that era and the pounding Price took hampered his career.
Don't be a prisoner of the moment.
As far as shooting, Curry is superior.
But the rest of the skills, Isiah Thomas was superior.
That's why bigger players hated him because he showed so many of them up.
When it comes to talent and skills, Isiah Thomas is a all time Top 10 TALENT.
That's why he is one of the few players EVER to be a Final Four MOP and NBA Finals MVP and a back to back NBA champion.
He's also the smallest guy to win both.
You don't get that without incredible skills.
2:15 This is huge for me.. I think most people, if they've scored 14 points in a row.. IN THE FINALS.. and they're on a fast break, would be in so much of an adrenalin high they would try to score it again!
I'm trying to know why I don't like this man?
After this performance and hearing his laughter, I changed my mind.
1 bad call away from a possible 3 peat
Idk why they don’t put more respect on this mans name. I’ve seen a lot of pgs but 1. Magic 2 isiah or curry. Zeke gets no love and we got ripped off at the end of this game. One of the greatest performances I’ve ever seen considering nba finals w injury.
Isiah gets much respect from those who played against him and witnessed his greatness. He was the best point guard of his era - even better than Magic. Magic is the most acclaimed and decorated point guard of all-time. But Isiah surpassed him as a player no later than 1986. He cemented his superiority over Magic in their two finals confrontations. That's why Magic hit him with that forearm in the 1988 Finals. That was Magic saying "I'm tired of him cooking me on national television."
All heart
Grit and grind Man. It's too bad the refs cheated them out of this game
moomoo hakim yep: screwed the bad boys at the end of game 6 and 7.
Zeke made me a believer that day
Lawrence Tanter is likely still saying "Isiah Thomas..."
GOAT
I had to come here after seeing people say Stockton was better x😂
They are REAL DELUSIONAL 🤔🤔🤔
I'll take Isiah > Magic to start a team.
No. But every other PG ever, probably.
U crazy
Magic oscsr robertson jkidd then isiah then stockton i guess if u want not a Stockton fan
Jason kidd bahahaha!!! Zeke's waaay better can take over game as you can see holy smokes!!!
Jason Kidd and Stockton LOL. Go check out the highlighs of Isiah dropping 40pts on Stockton after the Olympics snubbed him.
WOW
When basketball was worth watching!!
The best!
The reason I personally don't respect today's "load management"era.
Chris Paul isn’t doing this
Flu game..he was hungover.. teammates said it...
1:38 take that line out of context
Jordan would NEVER have scored 25 points in a quarter on ONE leg!!
Yes he would have because the refs would have put him on the foul line 25 times
@@kevinshell8392 😂😂😂 damn 😂
😆 🤣 💯 An they'd still be talkin bout it in the Daily press MJ scores 25pts 3qt but Noo it was Isiah...
MJ hater spotted
Zeke was in the zone...
Hope giannis watching this before game 5 vs heat
*THE REFEREES STOLE THAT GAME FROM THE PISTONS.*
*DETROIT SHOULD HAVE BEEN NBA CHAMPION THAT YEAR 1988.*