Isiah Thomas Detroit Pistons Bulova 1989 NBA Finals Champions Watch

Important American Collector

Sotheby’s is proud to offer this 1989 NBA Finals Champions Watch from Isiah Thomas.

Isiah Thomas was drafted 2nd overall in the 1981 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons and went on to have a legendary career. The Hall of Famer is considered one of the best ‘small’ guards of all time at 6-foot-1. After leading the Indiana Hoosiers to 2 National Championships, he ranked Top 10 in both steals and assists in his first professional season. The 12-time All-Star performer was known as a ‘feisty competitor’ who played with flair. His role was pivotal in taking the Detroit Pistons from last place in the league to back-to-back championship wins in 1989 and 1990. He was named MVP of the NBA Finals in 1990 and also named All-Star MVP in 1984 and 1986. 

Thomas was one of the greatest "small men" ever to play professional basketball. "Zeke", who stood barely over six feet, was in his day the grittiest performer to play the guard position, a true competitor who possessed the skill and determination to take over a game at will and helped build a last-place Detroit Pistons team into back-to-back NBA champions in the late 1980's. Thomas' sunny smile belied an inner toughness that made him a key member of a scrappy, physical group of players dubbed the "Bad Boys" of Detroit.

The 1989 NBA Finals was a legendary matchup between the Detroit Pistons, led by Hall of Famers Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, and Dennis Rodman, and the Los Angeles Lakers featuring Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabar. The Pistons swept the Lakers, 4 games to 0 on the way to their first NBA Championship.