He was hired to break the rules. That is the first thing you need to understand about Isiah Thomas’ latest and briefest work for the Knicks, as a consultant. He was hired to break the rules.
NBA front-office employees are not allowed to watch high school players live. Of course, as Florida International’s head coach, Thomas has to watch high school players live.
If he works for the Knicks, Thomas is not allowed to have any contact with college players unless they have used up their eligibility or declared for the draft. He is also not allowed to discuss their skills publicly. As FIU’s coach, Thomas is supposed to … um, coach underclassmen and talk about them in the postgame news conference.
It is literally impossible to do both jobs without breaking NBA rules. It’s like if PETA hired you as a spokesperson and said you could keep your other job kicking puppies. The NBA had no choice but to void this arrangement — and, presumably, the Knicks finally figured that out. Thomas issued a statement Wednesday saying he’s giving up his new role with his old franchise.
And this leads to the question:
How stupid are the Knicks?
Full story: Isiah Thomas? Again? What were the New York Knicks thinking? – Michael Rosenberg – SI.com