This week 13 years ago, Isiah Thomas was named head coach of the Pacers, replacing Larry Bird, who stepped down following the 1999/00 season. Thomas was a 12-time All-Star and led the Pistons to two NBA championships and was the Finals MVP in 1990. He also led Indiana to the NCAA title in 1981. As was the case with Bird, who was the 1997/98 NBA Coach of the Year, the Pacers’ job was Thomas’ first coaching experience. Thomas would coach the Pacers for three years and later have two seasons at the helm with the Knicks, giving him a total coaching mark of 187-223.
Got a fantastic basketball blog piece that you want featured on Hoops Rumors? Send your submissions to HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s look around the web..
- Suite Sports looks at the good moves and bad moves of the summer.
- Hardwood Paroxysm talks Darnell Jackson and the value of age.
- The Brooklyn Game pits the new-look Nets against the Heat.
- Celtics Life has a former-C’s showdown between the Nets and the Clippers.
- NBA Couchside projects the Bulls’ season using advanced metrics.
- Blog A Bull wonders why Nate Robinson can’t find a home.
- Rufus On Fire talks nepotism.
- Pounding The Rock wonders if the Spurs would consider Iman Shumpert.
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