Isiah Thomas

Thomas grew up on the West Side of Chicago in profound poverty — one of nine children raised by his mother after his father abandoned the family. Mary Thomas once chased drug dealers off her porch with a shotgun to protect her children's future.

His 25-point third quarter in Game 6 of the 1988 NBA Finals while playing on a badly sprained ankle is considered by many basketball historians as the single most courageous individual performance in Finals history.

Thomas and Michael Jordan famously had one of the most contentious rivalries in NBA history — the Bad Boys' physical style was specifically designed to prevent Jordan from dominating, and it worked for years.

After retirement, Thomas worked as an executive and coach, most notably serving as President of Basketball Operations for the New York Knicks and later as head coach of Indiana University — returning to the school where he won his college championship.