CHARLESTON, S.C. – Despite yesterday’s staggering defeat in federal court, despite Isiah Thomas’ image taking a massive beating, despite costing James Dolan another $11.6 million, the Knicks owner has no plans of dismissing the Knicks president/coach any time soon, according to team sources.
Upon arriving in Charleston yesterday afternoon, Thomas said he’s not worried about job security, though Dolan will not make his annual trip to their training camp home of 16 years. An NBA source said the league will lay off, too, as it does not dabble in civil lawsuits.
In one of the darkest days in Knicks history, Thomas made the two-block walk from the team hotel to the College of Charleston gym through raindrops to run last night’s practice after flying in at 2:15 p.m. on Dolan’s private jet.
“I’m excited to be back, be back in the gym and work with the guys and get ready for a good season,” Thomas said in a meeting with the beat writers. “It’s about winning now. It’s about getting back on the floor and coaching the guys, getting our team ready to go out and compete and win a lot of games.”
The rage from this morning had dissipated slightly. Thomas and the Garden were found guilty on eight of nine charges in the Anucha Browne Sanders sexual harassment case and forced to pay $11.6M in punitive damages.
“Once we start playing basketball, start talking about basketball and good things that have happened over the course of the summer, those things will come to light,” said Thomas, who is appealing the ruling. “It will be about basketball again. Once it’s about basketball again, the fans of basketball, fans of the NBA will hope your team wins.”
The Knicks held their season’s first practice yesterday morning, with Herb Williams in charge. Williams said the Knicks can quiet the fan outrage by having success when the season opens Nov. 2 in Cleveland.
“You have to win basketball games,” Williams said. “Go out and do that, everything else will take care of itself. When you’re losing, everything else seems magnified.”
After getting walloped in court, Thomas, Garden VP of public relations Barry Watkins and Knicks security chief John Donohue rushed from the federal courthouse to a heliport near Wall Street, flew to Long Island and boarded Dolan’s jet to Charleston. Thomas arrived in time to watch the tape of the season’s first practice.
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Zach Randolph left Charleston yesterday after morning session to be with his gravely ill grandmother in Indianapolis and likely will miss today’s sessions.