10/9/2019 basketball Edit

Report: Detroit Pistons building statue for Isiah Thomas

Taylor Lehman • TheHoosier

Staff

The Detroit Free Press reports that the Detroit Pistons will build a statue outside of Little Caesars Arena for former Piston and Hoosier great Isiah Thomas.

A statue will reportedly be built for former Detroit Piston and Indiana Hoosier Isiah Thomas outside of Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. (USA Today Images)

The Detroit Pistons reportedly have plans to build a statue outside of Little Caesars Arena for former Indiana guard and NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas. The news was first reported by Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press on Monday.

Thomas, who already has a statue built in his honor in the lobby of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, is a two-time NBA Champion, a 12-time all-star and had his No. 11 jersey retired by the Pistons.

At Indiana, Thomas guided the Hoosiers to an NCAA Championship in 1981, with 16.0 points per game and 5.8 assists.

For the Pistons, Thomas averaged 19.2 points and 9.3 assists per game, and he currently sits at eighth all-time for career assists in NBA history. Thomas battled against the likes of Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics and Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers – though at the end of their careers – to earn Detroit's titles in 1989 and 1990.