Isiah Thomas G2sart22 Isiah 1c S Bkn Usa Ny ROBERT DEUTSCH / USA TODAY NETWORK

Detroit Pistons Make Social Media Post for Historic Day

Originally posted on Detroit Pistons on SI
By Justin Grasso | Last updated Jun 10, 2025 2:16 PM ET

On Monday, the Detroit Pistons found a reason to celebrate the day. On June 9, 1981, the Pistons made a draft selection that has gone down in history as one of the most important picks for the franchise.

The Pistons’ social media team celebrated the 44th anniversary of the selection of Isiah Thomas on X.

via @DetroitPistons: 4️⃣4️⃣ years ago today, we drafted Isiah Thomas with the second overall pick in the 1981 @NBA Draft. The rest is history.

4️⃣4️⃣ years ago today, we drafted Isiah Thomas with the second overall pick in the 1981 @NBA Draft. The rest is history. pic.twitter.com/4FcQkj2CfS
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) June 9, 2025

At the time, Thomas was wrapping up his stint at Indiana. He was drafted after his sophomore effort. Thomas left college hoops with 63 games under his belt. He averaged 15 points on 53 percent shooting from the field. He also had four rebounds, six assists, and two steals per game. He led the Big Ten in steals during both of his seasons.

With the second-overall pick of the 1981 NBA Draft, the Pistons banked on Thomas becoming a critical face for their franchise. Their projections ended up panning out, as Thomas played all 13 of his seasons with the Pistons. He ended up earning an All-Star nod in all but one of those years.

Thomas helped deliver two NBA Championships to Detroit. He was a five-time All-NBA selection and is recognized as one of the top players in NBA history, making the 50th and 75th NBA anniversary teams. After retiring, Thomas earned the honor of having his jersey retired by the Pistons. He is one of 11 players in franchise history who can say that.

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This article first appeared on Detroit Pistons on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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