NBA legend and Pro Basketball Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas didn’t like the picture an ESPN producer selected of him for an interview on “Keyshawn, JWill, and Max.”
Thomas was so fed up he told the hosts he was going to hang up and call back when they fixed the picture.
Media Outlets Do Use Negative Imagery With Black Men
It wasn’t too much of a contentious discussion but it did highlight the importance of imagery especially when it concerns Black men. Thomas was the only person interviewed to that point on the show on Wednesday that wasn’t seen smiling in his photo.
Media outlets have historically used imagery of Black men that depicts us negatively. Whether it be a photo of the subject not smiling. Darkening the background to make the subject appear darker than he is. These are all practices that still happen today.
“Pictures Say A lot”
It was good that Johnson and Kellerman continued to discuss the issue as it is a very real thing.
Thomas has been on a bit of a media run recently looking for respect and even an apology from Michael Jordan for how he talked about Thomas and his Detroit Pistons during “The Last Dance.”
“You got on national television and you called me an a****e, and then you said you hated me,” Thomas said on the “All The Smoke” Podcast. “You said that on national television. Now, if you didn’t mean it, get on national television and apologize for it. Now, if you meant it, let it ride as it is.”
That apology is never coming and Thomas knows it, but what he is doing is making sure the Bad Boy Pistons and his legacy are never forgotten.
They are the most underrated great team of that era. Now part of that is their own doing due to their extremely physical style of play and “Bad Boy” moniker. That didn’t jibe with the image, then commissioner, David Stern wanted for the league.
Thomas Doesn’t Want Hall Of Fame Career Or Pistons’ Legacy Forgotten
From 1984-1991 the Pistons were among the best teams in the NBA. They advanced to five conference finals, three NBA Finals and won two titles.
As Thomas likes to remind everyone, and it’s a fact. He and his Pistons beat the Larry Bird-led Boston Celtics, the Magic Johnson-led Los Angeles Lakers, and the Jordan-led Chicago Bulls.
It was no easy feat getting out of the East during that time period and if you did, the dynasty Lakers were usually waiting in the Finals. Thomas and the Pistons were great and lost some heartbreakers.
During the 1988 NBA Finals the man they call “Zeke” had his signature moment. On a badly sprained ankle in the Game 6, he scored 25 points in the third quarter of that game and finished with 43 points and eight assists. The Pistons lost the game and the series in seven, but it was an incredible moment for the Pistons’ floor general.
Thomas has been a Finals MVP, 12-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA, and a member of the NBA’s 50th and 75th anniversary teams.
