"History must be recorded accurately": Isiah Thomas backs Bill Russell’s daughter in debunking misleading NBA Finals stat
Following his playing days, NBA legend Isiah Thomas likes to keep the record straight regarding the history of the sport. He defended the claims of Bill Russell's daughter, who called out a fake stat going viral on social media after the Dallas Mavericks advanced to the NBA Finals.
On Thursday night, the Dallas Mavericks eliminated the Minnesota Timberwolves to win the Western Conference finals. Later on, a post started making the rounds that Jason Kidd was the first person to reach the NBA Finals as a player and coach with the same franchise.
However, Bill Russell's daughter let the world know that her father did it as a player-coach for the Boston Celtics back in the day. Isiah Thomas ended up re-posting it and calling for history to be recorded accurately.
"Let it be known history must be recorded accurately," Thomas wrote.
Russell is not the only former player to achieve this feat, as Pat Riely also did it in the 1980s. Thomas coached briefly after his run with the Detroit Pistons but never had this kind of postseason success.
Isiah Thomas gave a shout-out to two players ahead of 2024 NBA Finals
Following the Dallas Mavericks' victory on Thursday, the 2024 NBA Finals is now set. Luka Doncic & Co. will be up against the Boston Celtics.
On Thursday, Isiah Thomas gave a shout-out to one player on each side. He said that Jaylen Brown and Kyrie Irving were two of his favorite people and that he's happy to see them in the finals.
This is not the first time Isiah Thomas has posted about Brown during these playoffs. He congratulated him early this week after the Celtics made quick work of the Indiana Pacers in the conference finals. As a skilled offensive-minded guard himself, it's not shocking to see Thomas being a fan of Irving.
Both of these players are a big reason why their team has reached the finals. The Mavs traded for Irving last season, and it's paid off nicely for them. He has thrived as Luka Doncic's running mate, and the guard duo has proven to be a tough challenge for any opposing defense.
As for Brown, he's managed to increase his production during Boston's postseason run. Along with providing a boost on the defensive end, the All-Star forward is averaging 25.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists this postseason.
Following this congratulatory post, it's clear who Thomas will be keeping a close eye on once the NBA Finals action gets underway. As the No. 2 options for their respective teams, Brown and Irving could find themselves matched up one-on-one in this series.