Report: Isiah not breathing when found by cops
Former Knicks coach has denied that he took overdose of sleeping pills
 | Isiah Thomas, who was enshrined in the Hall of Fame as a player in 2000, was fired as New York Knicks coach earlier this year. |
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NEW YORK - Isiah Thomas was not breathing when police found the former Knicks coach and president lying on the kitchen floor of his Westchester County (New York) home, according to an incident report obtained by the New York Daily News on Thursday.
The newspaper obtained an incident report from the town of Harrison, New York.
According to the report, Harrison police officers responded to a late-night 911 call and arrived at Thomas' home shortly after midnight on Friday where they found a victim unconscious in the kitchen.
Harrison police administered oxygen to Thomas until an ambulance crew arrived at his Azalea Court home. He was taken to White Plains Hospital Center for further medical attention.
The report redacted Thomas' name and personal information. Harrison police chief David Hall would not identify the victim, only to say that it was a 46-year-old man who consumed 10 Lunesta sleeping pills. Thomas is 47.
"We closed this investigation Friday," Hall told the Daily News on Thursday. "We deemed it an accidental overdose of sleeping pills. There is absolutely no indication that he tried to kill himself. It was a standard call."
Thomas said it was his 17-year-old daughter Lauren who was rushed to the hospital last week, an assertion that police strongly denied.
"My cops ... know the difference between a 47-year-old black male and a young black female," Hall said earlier this weeks.
On Wednesday, Hall refused to specifically identify Thomas as the victim but left little doubt who he was talking about when he referenced the contract of the former New York Knicks'
president and coach.
"The only thing I can say is maybe he has some stipulation in his contract," Hall told Newsday. "If he takes drugs or whatever they may not owe him the $18 million. I have no idea."
Thomas, who was fired as New York's president and coach on April 18, remains with the team as a consultant. He is owed $18 million over the next three years.
A 12-time All-Star and two-time NBA champion as a player, Thomas was fired as coach and president of the Knicks after a 56-108 record on the bench and a disastrous five-year tenure as architect of the team.
Under his direction, the Knicks became one of the biggest laughingstocks in professional sports and a daily soap opera, which included a messy sexual harassment suit from a Madison Square Garden employee against Thomas and the team's brass.
Thomas' accuser, Anucha Browne Sanders, eventually won a settlement worth $11.6 million, one of the largest judgments in the history of such cases.
Thomas also further buried the Knicks with questionable free agent signings and memorable feuds with star point guard Stephon Marbury and respected coach Larry Brown, who was hired and fired after guiding the team to a 23-59 record in 2005-06.
Thomas, who was enshrined in the Hall of Fame as a player in 2000, also had disappointing stints as the coach of the Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors executive vice president and owner of the CBA, which folded after filing for bankruptcy.
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