Isiah Thomas AKA Zeke Joins Q and D | Knuckleheads S3: E6 | The Players' Tribune

From the West Side of Chicago, to the Basketball Hall of Fame, to this week’s episode of Knuckleheads with Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles, it’s the OG Isiah Thomas (aka Zeke). The guys start by taking it back to Zeke’s high school days playing for legendary Chicago coach Gene Pingatore (2:27). Zeke recounts a few memorable moments from his college recruitment process (7:32), including the time one coach showed up at his house with a briefcase full of cash — and the time his mom called a press conference to announce his commitment to Indiana for him! He laughs about deliberately tanking interviews with NBA teams in an effort to get drafted later in the round by Chicago, but admits that going to Detroit was a huge blessing after all (17:59). Zeke then takes the guys through the history of one of the most underrated great teams in NBA history: the Bad Boy Pistons (21:01). We’re talking Dennis Rodman, Mark Aguirre, Joe Dumars … you know the lineup. Q and D recall their feelings when Isiah was left off the 1992 Dream Team, but Zeke holds no grudge, saying he realized that the basketball gods had a bigger plan (41:38). The Knuckleheads share some of their favorite stories from Isiah’s coaching years, including one with a lesson on how not to react after someone dunks on you (58:45). And Isiah has a message for all the NBA front offices: You want Jamal Crawford on your team, on your coaching staff — somewhere. Straight up (1:23:27). The guys wrap up talking about Derrick Rose, the kid from Chicago who got to live out that dream they all had: to be a Bull (1:14:11). #ThePlayersTribune Don't miss a video! Subscribe NOW: @playerstribune About The Players’ Tribune: The Players’ Tribune (TPT) is a first-of-its-kind content platform that connects athletes with fans through the power of storytelling. By giving athletes the tools to create truly personal content and tell their stories, The Players’ Tribune is reimagining the world of sports and culture through the player’s point of view. More than 1,600 athletes have contributed to the platform through impactful and powerful long and short form stories, video series and audio. Founded by Derek Jeter in 2014, TPT provides unique insight into the daily sports conversation and brings fans closer than ever to the games they love. Follow The Players’ Tribune: Website: https://www.theplayerstribune.com/ Facebook: Facebook: theplayerstribune Instagram: Instagram: playerstribune TikTok: TikTok: playerstribune X: Twitter: PlayersTribune Copyright Notice: This video and my YouTube channel contain dialog, music, and images that are property of The Players’ Tribune. You are authorized to share the video link and channel, and embed this video in your website or others as long as a link back to my YouTube Channel is provided. © 2025 The Players’ Tribune Isiah Thomas AKA Zeke Joins Q and D | Knuckleheads S3: E6 | The Players' Tribune @playerstribune