Savvy politicians and public officials typically release bad news to the press on a Friday afternoon, assuming the press will be tired of the story by Monday and the public won’t remember. Isiah Thomas was notoriously toxic toward the press as coach and general manager of the Knicks. But the guy sure knows the right time to overdose on sleeping pills.
In case you somehow missed it, police were called to Isiah’s Purchase home early Friday morning in response to a 47-year-old male overdosing on Lunesta. He was taken to the hospital and discharged. There was no suicide note left and the incident has been classified as “accidental.” That’s one side of the story. That side came from Harrison police chief David Hall and police reports. Generally speaking, unless they’re framing O.J., police sources are pretty reliable. Journalists use them all time.
There is another side, of course, and this is where matters turn loopy. Isiah claims 911 was called for his daughter — who had fainted in school earlier that day — and that he’s fine. This did not please David Hall, who granted every media interview imaginable — it’s possible he granted one to you — to purport that Isiah was “lying” and “throwing his daughter under the bus.”
Yes. All this really occurred. You thought Isiah Thomas was gone from the Knicks. You thought his tenure was already as bizarre as humanly possible. But you had no idea.
So, to confirm, one of two things happened. It depends on which source you believe.
If you believe the police: Isiah Thomas took ten Lunesta pills, either because he could not go to sleep or because he was depressed. After a 911 call, emergency services showed up in the early morning, treated him, and sent him home.
If you believe Isiah Thomas: His daughter passed out at school Thursday afternoon, and a 911 call was made about thirteen hours later. When emergency services showed up, they confused a 17-year-old girl with a 47-year-old man. And then, just to be dicks, covered up their lie by repeating it to every media outlet.
As we said: Isiah Thomas, as media-savvy as always.
