Linsanity hasn’t changed one thing: Madison Square Garden fans still hate former Knicks president Isiah Thomas.
Poor Sacramento rookie point guard Isaiah Thomas. Whenever his name was so much mentioned by Knicks public address announcer Mike Walczewski, for either a foul or bucket, the fans let loose with a round of boos. Some things never change, and Thomas got warned by Knicks superfan Spike Lee.
The former 5-foot-9 Washington Huskies player was indeed named after the Hall of Famer who now coaches at FIU.
“I used to come to the Knicks games when Isiah Thomas was coach, so I knew something was going to happen,’’ Thomas said. “I knew it was going to happen here. Spike Lee told me, ‘Next time you come to New York, you better change your name.’ ”
Knicks owner James Dolan, who maintains a friendship with the other Thomas but has no plans of ever rehiring him as president, couldn’t have enjoyed the reaction.
The Sacramento second-round pick will play tomorrow in Detroit, where Isiah Thomas still is revered.
“I might get some cheers there,’’ Thomas said.
The boos got louder in the fourth quarter as Thomas kept scoring in garbage time, hitting 6 of 8 buckets, to wind up with 13 points.
“They kept asking me, ‘Why were they booing?’ I was like, ‘ ’Cause of my name,’ ’’ Thomas said.
Sacramento’s other rookie Jimmer Fredette, of upstate Glens Falls, received a scattering of cheers when he made his first Garden bucket — a 3-pointer in the first quarter.
Fredette (eight points), whose rookie year has been disappointing, had several dozen family and friends on hand.