2x NBA Champion Isiah Thomas is one of the greatest guards to ever play the game of basketball. The Detroit Pistons point guard dictated the hardwood of the NBA in the late 80s. The bad boys restricted Michael Jordan’s formidable Chicago Bulls side in the 1989 playoffs and kept them at bay till 1991. Everyone is aware of the fairytales but not everyone knows the hardship and the extreme poverty the legend went through in his early years. Despite his poverty, Thomas’ mother once forced him to reject a $50,000 for one particular reason.

After impressive collegiate records, Isiah Thomas became the second-overall pick by the Pistons in the 1981 NBA draft. He continued to play for the Pistons throughout his NBA career. However, before entering the NBA, Thomas had an intriguing experience while selecting schools.

Isiah Thomas’s mother once forced him to reject $50,000 despite crippling poverty

In a recent episode of ‘The Pivot Podcast’ , Isiah Thomas reminisced about his struggling teenage days before getting recruited to a college team. He revealed he would set up all his recruitment meets in the daytime because they didn’t have light at home. During one such visit, the recruiter, who he refused to disclose, opened a briefcase and offered $50,000 to a young Thomas. The Pistons legend and his brothers jumped with utmost joy after seeing the money. But the joy didn’t last long as their mother refused the life-altering offer.

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The 12x NBA All-Star noticed that his mother didn’t smile or react in any way to the offer. He said, “My mom got up, went over to the briefcase, and closed it and looked at the guy and said, my son is not for sale.” He also remembered that his family had no food in their refrigerator during that particular offer, except one jug of water.

The legend further continued, “My brothers and everyone was mad. But now that I’m older, I understood what my mom was saying and what that meant.” He later went on to play for Indiana University, Bloomington under coach Bob Knight.

Michael Jordan-Isiah Thomas feud

Isiah Thomas had his own ways to keep his ‘Bad Boys’ motivated during the 1989 Playoffs. Thomas once said, “If it’s Isiah Thomas against Michael Jordan, I’m going to lose that battle every time”. He wanted his teammates to be aware that they were far more skilled than they were a few years ago. Pistons went on to win the 1990 playoffs as well.

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The famous Isiah-Jordan feud is one for the history books. Let us know your favorite rivalry in NBA history in the comment section.