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
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