Isiah Thomas retired from basketball in April 1994 after tearing his Achilles tendon. He retired as Detroit’s all-time leader in points, assists, steals, and games played after a decade of dominance in the game. According to the NBA, he was selected NBA Finals MVP in 1990.
When the radiance of his professional basketball career faded, he shifted gears to pursue a career in business. In 1992, Isiah and his investing partner purchased a failing printing company, American Speedy Printing Centers. He quickly changed the printing facility into one of the four major printing hubs in the United States, according to ESPN.
According to fadeaway world, Isiah hung his boots to end his interest in ever playing in the game, but he believed he had more to offer for the sustainability and progress of basketball. With the Toronto Raptors in 1994, he was given the opportunity to begin the internationalization of the basketball business in Canada.
This was his first overseas venture, and it served as a wake-up call for his subsequent commercial operations. He was named Toronto Raptors co-owner and executive vice president. Following a fractious relationship with the principal owner, Allan Slaight, Isiah chose to sell his stake in the team.
To preserve his dominance as an entrepreneur, he expanded his interests, investing in chocolate bars and his most valuable asset, Cheurlin Champagne.
When it came to making an impact on the game of basketball, Isiah took the helm of the Indiana Pacers, the New York Knicks as president, general manager, and head coach, and the Continental Basketball Association as owner. He further broadened his involvement in the sport by becoming the head men’s basketball coach at Florida International University.
Isiah founded Elighten Sports Inc., a full-service web development firm specializing on sports marketing, in 1999. He also advocated for collaborations with enlightening athletics and the University of Colorado. Basketball fans could watch live games via webcasts, shot charts, and interaction with stars on the website.
This met one of Isiah’s goals of increasing fan and basketball team engagement. He sought out channels that humanized the game and provided scores to fans around the country, as well as streams of matches.
Isiah is actively interested in developing local communities as a consequence of his experience growing up in projects. He supports programs that help poor women and families get out of poverty. One of his efforts is Mary’s Court, which promotes youth health, safety, and personal achievement in local communities. Other initiatives have aimed to raise awareness about gang violence.