What's so amazing about these highlights is the defenders Isiah was giving the business to . There were All Defensive players, HOF players, bigger players and a group of players Isiah was breaking down off the dribble to get buckets.

I love Jordan and the bulls forever and ever but Zeke was just flat out phenomenal.

People grow up with a fallacy about that 80's Piston era team of the "Bad Boys" who were just dirty and physical. They were highly skilled offensive players. Bill Laimbeer became arguably the first great 3 point shooting center. They had Dantley and then Maguire at small forward for them. Two of the most efficient scorers of that era. Then they had Dumars and Johnson to round out the guards. Extremely talented offensive players. And off the bench they had Buddha Edwards who was a low post scorer extraordinaire. Rodman and Salley were the least overall offensively talented of the group but they brought the energy and athleticism. And at the top of the heap was Isaiah. Supremely skilled offensively but willing to forgo some points for victories. Their toughness and physicality was just an extra advantage they had not their only asset. If that was all they had, they would have never gotten past the Celtics, Bulls or Lakers. Not to mention the other half dozen talented teams back then.

No one before Isaiah or since has ever played like Isaiah, beloved Bad Boy!!

And he doesn't travel, and he doesn't palm. Best PG ever south of Magic.

WOW!!!!! Sensational footage of one of THE most skilled players ever played the game!!!! Never before I got to see this - outstanding!!!! Thanx for posting!!!!

The chief of the crew of the pistons ,isiah Beat jordan ,Larry ,and Magic in the end of the 80s .

Great video. Watched him almost every game growing up. Channel 50 Detroit, george blaha, isiah turning that team around and growing as leader was amazing to watch. Isiah favorite all time. Unreal.

How people quickly forget. Isiah was a menace when he had the ball.

The best pure point guard in Basketball history. Magic was a freak of nature at 6'9

Greatest little man ever!!

Isiah was 6'1" 180lbs but he had the biggest competitive heart in the NBA. My God what a great player. Best small guard ever in the NBA.

Agreed. The original Isiah Thomas is the best pure-PG ever. He could have padded his stats and run up more regular season accolades, but he didn't for the good of his team. He held back in the regular season to allow his teammates to develop so they'd be ready for the playoffs. John Stockton was a great player, but he was clearly behind Zeke.

Isiah Thomas so skilled guy. One of my top ten players

Isiah's fundamentals were off the chart. Isiah was extremely athletic. His ball handling was unmatched in his era. People never gave him credit for his defense, which INCLUDES rebounding. When it came to skills, the 5 most skillful players I ever saw were in no particular order were; Isiah,Jordan, Bird, Rick Barry and Oscar Robertson.

He's tough and can take dozens of stitches from a wayward elbow

Forged in Chicago, honed at Indiana, hardened in Detroit.

Greatest little guy that's ever played in the NBA.

Best. Ever. Pound for pound. 💫

These youngsters don't know how amazing and fun it was to watch that man play.

Those highlights against Utah are after he was left off the dream team, so naturally he had to make Stockton look like a middle schooler 😂

The other amazing aspect is what Isiah came from....and what he went through in his life to get to where he is today.......

Best point guard ever. He could score, handle, dish, ultimate floor general, clutch, tough. His only weakness was his size. If he was 6'5 he would be in the convo as the greatest player ever

I tell people all the time that no player in NBA history sacrificed more of their talent and held back their stats to better their overall team than Isiah Lord Thomas did . Think about these 2 small guards what they did on the college and NBA levels that Isiah Thomas could have easily done, Chris Jackson at LSU and Allen Iverson in the NBA . Jackson was a big time scorer in college and Iverson was a big time scorer in the NBA . Remember, Jackson played on a loaded LSU team with Shaq, the other big guy Stanley Roberts, Vernell Singleton and the Williamson kid. AI had NBA stars in Philly who all left because they didn't want to play with him . But here is my point, neither of those 2 guards won a title in college or the NBA while Isiah won 3 combined titles on both levels. Isiah diversified his game between top notch point guard, big time clutch scorer and shooter and defensive menace while both Jackson and AI concentrated on being one dimensional guys whose primary focus was getting their shots up.

Mind you this only part of it, the passing was the real wizardry

Zeke is the only point guard that I would take over magic.thats because I'm a detroit fan

You just made me a fan of Isiah Thomas and The Eagles!

I was there for it all in the 80s. Isaiah is one of the greatest who ever laced them up. For my $$ best pure point guard ever. You can't write the history of the NBA without a heavy doze of Zeke's round ball wizardry.

Zeke the Freek!! Chicago built Detroit made.

Criminal that he was excluded from the Dream Team

They call it *Controlled Artistry* with the 🏀 ❗️ This is what "Zeke" was known for. THIS is the real *POINT GOD* as y'all say! The Original, no substitute❗️❗️❗️▪️

Hold on now 🤔😬😬😬 I didn’t know Isaiah Thomas was THIS fkn good! I mean he’s CLEARLY among the best PLAYERS- not just PGs or guards- then and now. Yeah I think he could play in today’s game with no problems at all.

Pay attention to how many of those highlights we're inside the paint going against the Giants. Dude was straight Fearless

The greatest pure point guard ever!

I love this. My favorite player ever.

It was a mistake to replace this master in the 92 dream team for Stockton. I would have loved to see him play live. A real magician and clutch player

Simply the best point guard and the best player inch ratio in the history of the league. Ridiculous when you see him rating in video games and modern stuff like that.

If Thomas played today he would be a regular MVP.

Truly one of the great point guards, I always wondered what he would have been like on the dream team. Also great music choice for the video

Zeke dribbles. The rest of the guys doing now is palming.....

In his prime, best NBA small guard to ever play. Saw him play at the old silver dome in Pontiac with Tripuka and of course, the Bad Boys. As fearless as he was talented, and along with Dumars, the best backcourt for many years. Add Vinnie Johnson in the rotation and you get the best guard rotation ever to play.

The oop off the bounce pass is a forgotten art…..🔥🔥🔥

"But...but...but there was nobody in the MJ era that could dribble" - 15 year olds today.

He finds space where there is none, just glides right through.

Wow, my favourite player and favourite song,great video!

Isiah had more in his locker than Steph thats just a fact

everyone is a prisoner of the moments for their era...Isiah is an elite talent not defined by an era

I fell in love with basketball because of Isiah and the pistons. Isiah is the best point guard ever. Heart speed jump shot dribbling passing drive to the hole. 3 points shot. He was skilled in all of these situation. And he never got small in big moments like lebron.

And that’s why, with all due respect, Kyrie is not that special, because before him, players like Isaiah and Pistol Pete, were doing what he does and they did not have others to learn it from, THEY WERE THE CREATORS!!!

Great video! The music didn't do justice for such a great player though.

Curry is a great player ,and has the perfect skillset for the rules and mindset of the game as it exists today. He is an out of this world shooter in a shooters paradise of moving picks and uncontested lanes...But he can't carry Isaiah Thomas' jock. I am sorry. Toughness,leadership and a Larry Bird level skillset that encompasses all aspects of the game coupled with crazy speed, quickness, hops and steel toughness. Isaiah came from some very mean streets in Chicago, was Bobby Knight's best player ever and won an NCAA Title before coming out as the number 2 pick as a Sophomore.. As was typical of the truly physical NBA in those days, I can still see Magic Johnson giving Isaiah a pregame kiss and then within the first couple of minutes flying across the lane to pop him with a very deliberate flying elbow to the head,drawing blood and a mere personal foul. ( kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fat_es6i1NHNaZs.html ) Isaiah was forged in a furnace Curry will never know while strolling down an open lane or heaving other Time Zone 3s against the no touch Defenses of today......Isiah could guard Curry. Curry would get embarrassed trying to stay with Isiah...No insult to Curry in any of this. Just an unfair comparison to one of the baddest,if not THE baddest guards to ever lace them up.And as a Celtics fan, I hated those fucking bad boy fucking Pistons...

Best pure point guard ever.. not even close.

And people say if A.I. was 6'6 he would've been the best no if Zeke was 6'6 MJ would've been in some really serious shiit.

In a word, YES! These people must have forgotten...

Second greatest point guard of all time

Sick video! So glad you pulled some of those f'n bounce pass alley-oops. I'd never seen that nutmeg clip either. If you're making a part 2. he has an amazing like full court, baseball throw style bounce pass that I think he did in an all-star game, I think would be cool to include. Everybody has to keep in mind he was 6'1" also! Lastly, gotta mention that 25pt. 3rd qtr. hobbling on a wrecked ankle in game 6 of the '88 finals against one of the best teams assembled in the Lakers that year. It is one of the more emotional basketball performances (if there is such a thing) around. Thanks for this vid.

Excellent Collection!

The best layup maker ever.

Isiah Thomas is the second greatest point guard in NBA history

Isaiah Thomas would put curry in a washing machine on spin cycle for days. Curry would just give up. No1 in the league could guard Isaiah and he was 6'1. He was a shorter quicker Michael Jordan

Dang... you know Isaiah had to have SOME screws loose because he took it to the hole relentlessly where they punished you back in the day every time!! Watch when he gets smashed by Malone! He still came back AND played!!

The razzle dazzle on zeke is unmatched

I’m 45 and I still got a grudge against him for how he used to destroy my Bulls…😂

Isiah thomas was the best pure point guard period. The only thing Magic had on Isiah was size. If Isiah was 6'5 he would be in the GOAT conversation.

Man listen.... I'm a Warriors fan...But Zeke cuzz....Being a lil fella during that time....He is definitely one of my all time favorite players... Remember that 4th quarter on one leg??? Greatness....

What it do fam.... new subscriber and shout out from Memphis-10... this is my favorite point guard of all time... stay up and stay blessed 💯

Isiah is much better, he had full game skills not just three point taking abilities and dribbling.

One of the best, silky smooth

Forever and ever good old number 11!!

Kids nowadays think that players such as Curry are some kind of God's that nobody has seen the likes of. The players back then weren't no joke. They would F up today's league

With just this highlight reel, he's in my top ten overall. 😆 Easy to not like Zeke, but his talent was extraordinary.

Dude what people dont talk about is his first couple years him and Kelly Tripuka was ave. about close to 30 and he toned it down so he could win. When Chuck Daily became coach if Im not mistaken.

Totally different player, physically and mentally. That said, I'd take Thomas over Curry all day long.

This video showed me that some people back then were afraid and envied Isiah

Bring back the bounce pass alley-oop!!

👏👏👏💯 He can break down Jordan facts 👈I love watching his heart and determination 👈

It is like the Harlem Globetrotters sent their best guard to IU then to Detroit. Zeke was freakin' ridiculous 1:58, making his Airness look like he has a club foot.

If Zeke was 6'5" he would be MJ or better.

at the 2:00 min mark he crossed the hell out of MJ !!!! LOL

Definetely and without question More Skilled Than Steph Curry

he up'd his game in the playoffs and finals, not sure Curry can say the same.

And don't forget, 16 points in 90 seconds.

Steph Curry has a particular specialty which he has leveraged into a game-changing element of play. Take away his shot and he’s just another good point guard. Definitely good, but not anything to blow people’s minds. Zeke could do a lot of damage without scoring. A lot.

Zeke was one of top 5 playmakers of ALL time…25 points in a single quarter on a busted ankle folks….that’s decent for a whole game without a busted ankle…come on now… And God forbid you give him a lane…he’d blow past ANYONE and make the layup look easy. ….oh, and he was that good BEFORE the Pistons had 13 starters…don’t forget he lead destroying Boston, la, the bulls, etc….really, could go on and on.

His crosses, between the legs, are very close to the body.

It was a more team oriented (thus more valuable) version of 'The Answer", AI.

Yes. He was more skilled. And he wasn’t the only one.

People just don't respect how bad zeek was. 6'1 maybe and dominated MJ and Bulls for years. Battled and beat Bird and the Celtics. Battled and beat Magic and the Lakers. On a team without another dominant offensive player. Hard working guys but not a perinnial all star or first ballot hall of famer teammate among them.

Damn nice layup package

"Hi Zeke, this here Karl Malone elbow." 🤣

Just found who kyrie Erving plays like now thanks for this footage history repeats kyrie is the Isaiah Thomas of this area 🤔

The media tries to sell Stockton as a better defender, but Isiah used to just run by him like he wasn't there.

Little man did it in the paint.

Thomas all day

Yes hands down Isaiah was

It's close. I'll just say that. 2 of the greatest ever.

You're not gonna convince me that someone in a league with no hand check or forearm in the lower back is better than Zeke! Never!

A talented player,the greatest player in NBA history

that's a great argument for the ages. still, i think thomas would've killed it in this highly regulated era of the nba. btw, what's the title of the song?

1:58 that crossover made me laugh. I don’t know why people think Morant would never do that on that defender. Pure obsession. It’s normal that a player crosses another one. It’s incomprehensible that some people think that some players would never cross another one