Isiah Thomas Says He Doesn't Know If He Would Be Alive Today If He Stayed In Chicago For College: "We Were Poorer Than Poor, No Light, No Gas, No Food..."

Isiah Thomas was honest about his thoughts of his future had he decided to play for a college in Chicago.

Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

In what comes off as a candid thought, Isiah Thomas revealed that he didn't know he would be alive if he stayed in Chicago during college.

"I wanted to stay at home and go to DePaul," Thomas said. "My second choice was Iowa, but I wanted to stay here and go to DePaul, but we were poorer than poor, with no light, no gas, and no food... struggling every day. At that time, people were offering money to go to school."

"And I never forget," he added. "If I stayed at home in Chicago, things would be nice for the family. But I don't know if I'd be alive today though if I stayed home in Chicago."

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Thomas was one of the players who had a rags-to-riches story to share, and given his journey in the NBA, the guard was one of the players who deserved every bit of the success he garnered over time.

The story also serves as a reminder of how circumstances forced him to take a route that wasn't the easiest, but he did it, and he was recruited to play college basketball for Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers. Soon after, in the 1981 NBA draft, the Detroit Pistons chose Thomas as the second overall pick.

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Isiah Thomas Says Chicago Was The Proudest Of Local Hero, Derrick Rose

One Chicago native knows talent when he sees one, and Isiah Thomas recognized the icon Derrick Rose, and he added for good measure that the Windy City was proud of the point guard.

"The guy that we're the most proud of out of Chicago is Derrick Rose," Thomas said on All The Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. 

"He lived all of our dreams. And then he plays for the Chicago Bulls, right? And then he becomes the youngest MVP in the league at 20. C'mon man, I mean everybody is like, when 'D-Rose is walking to the room, it's like fame music be playing.'"

Coming back to his collegiate days and his affinity to Chicago, it was somewhat unfortunate that Thomas never played for the Bulls at any point in time. 

He was a true blue Piston and tasted immense success while also making a case for himself as one of the more legendary players for the franchise winning two titles with them.

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