If Knicks fans are hoping Isiah Thomas will do Jim Dolan’s dirty work for him, Thomas made it clear – in strangely graphic fashion – that he isn’t about to go anywhere and he still thinks he can save this franchise, which he’s helped turn into a laughingstock.
So don’t expect the beleaguered head coach and team president to step aside any time soon, no matter how many games the team loses or the outcome of sexual harassment lawsuits.
“This is a tough challenge here,” Thomas said. He made it even more arduous in the loss on Monday to the Mavericks when he verbally jousted with some fans. “We’re not shrinking from the challenge, by no means. We’ll continue to fight, we’ll continue to walk.”
Then he affirmed that until Dolan says otherwise, Thomas will be here.
“If there’s one thing that I hope all of you know about me, or will learn about me, I fight ’til I die,” Thomas said after his team practiced yesterday in preparation for tonight’s game against Seattle. “It’s not about giving up or quitting. To me, it’s win or die. And I literally mean death. I don’t mean walk away, I mean death. And that’s how I approach it.”
Some observers might say watching Thomas’ Knicks is like death, but the coach remains confident they will find a way to become competitive again, and he is the guy to get it done.
“We’ve got a job to do here,” Thomas said. “We’re gonna get it done. I’m confident we’ve got the right players. I’m confident we got the right people, and we’ll dig our way out of this. It’s been done before. We’ve done it before. We did it last year and we’ll do it again this year.”
He then abruptly walked away from reporters.
A year ago, the Knicks overcame an awful start to briefly enter the playoff race before injuries and ineffectiveness once again made them an afterthought. The patience the Garden faithful showed at times last season is virtually nonexistent now. That conflict was evident in the loss to Dallas, as fans booed loudly, then changed their tune when the Knicks made a late, and ultimately futile, run.
“We were in a similar situation last year, where we had to win our fans back and we did that,” Thomas said. “I think we can do it again this year.”
It’s not going to be easy, as a fan accused Thomas of blaming the crowd for some of the team’s struggles on Monday.
“I don’t recall being combative,” Thomas said, adding he loves the fans. “I think everything that I’ve tried to say here is pretty positive about what the fans want, what we want to give them. I know the guys that I have, if we can get them aggressive and confident, they’ll give a better performance.”
But he didn’t say the fans were blameless.
“I do know that the team that I coach and the players that we coach here, you can gauge their emotional response and when they’re aggressive and when they’re tentative,” Thomas said. “My team right now is a little tentative and a little hesitant, and my job is to get them going and get them aggressive.”
As for himself, Thomas insists the chants and criticism have no effect.
“I’ve been in the NBA and won championships,” Thomas said. “That comes with the territory. You have highs and you have lows and the grit that you need and the determination that you need to win a championship and build a championship team, you gotta have some tough skin, and your skin has to get thicker every day, not thinner.”
Thomas knows that better than ever now.
Money for nothing
Isiah Thomas, whose contract was extended in March by four years and an estimated $24 million, has cost James Dolan a lot of money to make things go away, including player buyouts, coaching firings and sexual-harassment suit verdicts. Last season, the Knicks were paying $41 million in annual wages for four players who were no longer on the roster. All contracts but one expired this summer.
Player buyouts
Shandon Anderson – Bought out $24M contract for $19M.
Jerome Williams – Waived $21.3M contract under new amnesty rule that forgave luxury tax.
Maurice Taylor – Bought out $9.8M pact for $8.7M.
Jalen Rose – Bought out $16.9M pact for $14M.
Dan Dickau – Bought out $3.7M pact for $3.2M.
Coaches fired
Don Chaney – Fired with $9M left on contract.
Lenny Wilkens – Fired with $10M left on contract.
Larry Brown – Fired and paid $18.5M in settlement.
Lawsuit
Anucha Browne-Sanders – Settled sexual-harassment suit against Thomas and the Garden for $11.5M.
Date with destiny
When will James Dolan finally listen to his disenchanted, disgusted constituents and fire Isiah Thomas? The Post is happy to handicap the joyous day for you:
Dec. 22: NBA Commissioner David Stern deserves a happy birthday. Odds: 3-1.
Dec. 24: At this point, the Knicks would take Santa as their next coach. Odds: 100-1.
Dec. 31: Season ticket-holders invited to meet in Times Square and sing “Auld Lang Syne” to Thomas. Odds: 75-1.
Jan. 19: The day (in 2006) Anucha Browne-Sanders was fired by the Knicks. Odds: 1,000-1.
Feb. 2: If Thomas sees his shadow, that means six more weeks of pathetic basketball. Odds: 50-1.
Feb. 3: Can bury bad news on Super Bowl Sunday. Odds: 10-1.
Feb. 14: James Dolan shows how much he loves New York on Valentine’s Day. Odds: 25-1.
Feb. 22: George Washington’s birthday. How come no one believes Thomas when he swears he didn’t chop down the cherry tree?
Odds: 150-1.
March 23: Send Thomas on an Easter-egg hunt . . . in Afghanistan. Odds: 75-1.
April 1: April Fool’s Day. Bingo!
Odds: 2-1.
– Steve Serby