Say what you want about Isiah Thomas, but he was one of the all time greats of the NBA. In my opinion, he gets overlooked during the "golden years" of the 80s. They always mention Magic, Bird, and Jordan, but fail to mention Thomas. He was one of the fiercest competitors that ever played. For a little guy, he had a lot of heart and was one of the toughest players in the league.
Current Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose wants to win. He wants to win some championships and wants to be one of the greatest to play the game. He just doesn't go around beating his chest saying it.
After losing to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals last summer,
Rose sought out Chicago legend Thomas for some counsel and advice.
Isiah Thomas said he met Rose last year after a game in Detroit and that Rose contacted him after the Bulls' season had ended.
"He was pretty down," Thomas told ESPNChicago.com by phone on Wednesday. "He asked me 'How did you do it? How did you win back-to-back championships at this size?' And my response to him was that once you understand your opponent and know your opponent better than you know yourself, you'll win."
Translation: Study film like your life depends on it.
Rose looks up to Thomas and despite his front office troubles, he knows that Thomas knows what it takes to win.
"... He's somebody where in Chicago, you definitely got to look up to, especially being a guard, winning championships in this league," Rose said. "[I] try to take things out of his game and put them into mine. But [he's] a cool dude. I played against his son in AAU. And he's from Chicago so I got to look up to him."
"It's hard to pattern your game after somebody that's great like that," Rose said. "If anything, he was a winner. His will to win, no matter how big he was on the floor, he was a small guy, but his passion for the game and how dedicated he was to playing the game."
Rose, like Thomas, is enduring his share of bumps and bruises in pursuit of an NBA championship. But like Thomas he is more than willing to pay the price. Growing up in a tough Chicago environment will give you that kind of attitude. That means being tough and doing whatever it takes to win.
