by Hermene D. Hartman

Isiah Lord Thomas III is an American former basketball player who played professionally for the Detroit Pistons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A point guard, 12-time NBA All-Star was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Thomas has also been a professional and collegiate head coach, a basketball executive, and a broadcaster.

Thomas played collegiately for the Indiana Hoosiers, leading them to the 1981 NCAA Championship as a sophomore and declaring for the NBA draft.

After his playing career, he was an executive with the Toronto Rapters, a television commentator, an executive with the Continental Basketball Association, head coach of the Indiana Pacers, and an executive and head coach for the New York Knicks. He was later the men's basketball coach for the Florida International University (FIU) Golden Panthers for three seasons from 2009 to 2012.

In early May 2015, amidst controversy, Thomas was named president and part owner of the Knicks' WNBA sister team,the New York Liberty. Under Thomas’ leadership as team president and his former Pistons teammate Bill Laimbeer as head coach, the Liberty finished first in the Eastern Conference during the 2015 season.

Thomas sees dozens of business proposals come across his desk all the time. One from Cheurlin Winery landed on his desk and Thomas was intrigued, Cheurlin sought a partner to help get his product into the United States. In 2016, Thomas announced that he was the exclusive United States owner/importer of Cheurlin Champagne. It made its debut at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

Thomas was in Chicago recently to announce for the first time, that Think450, (the licensing arm of the National Basketball Players Association) comprised of the NBA's active 450 players, have adopted the champagne as their official drink.

N'DIGO recently sat down with Thomas and discussed his Westside roots, his illustrious NBA career, and his latest venture Cheurlin Champagne.

N'DIGO: What was it like growing up on the West Side of Chicago?

Thomas: It was a turbulent time. Let me give you perspective. I lived on Congress and Homan where the Chicago riots were after Dr. King’s death. National Guards came in to lock down Chicago. The tank was pointed at our home, 3340 West Congress, right off the Eisenhower Expressway. And then Fred Hampton was murdered on the West Side, three blocks from the stadium. I attended Lady of Sorrow and St. Joseph High School. I started playing basketball at Lady of Sorrow and Martin Luther King Boy’s Club at the age of 3 years old. I was a shooting guard in 4th grade.

What’s your favorite spot in Chicago?

The street of Jackson and Homan. The Street named after my mother, Mary Thomas. I always go there.

You have been a NBA All-Star champion 12 times, what does it take to be a champion?

First of all, a lot of training and discipline and physical fitness. You have to be extremely fit. Secondly you have to be able to perform and concentrate under pressure, sometimes extreme presume and of sane mind to execute game playing.

Who is your favorite athlete?

Muhammad Ali. He was a great athlete, but he is my favorite, because of what he stood for outside of the playing field. The champion. Coming up from the West Side, I was taught you have to speak for the “voiceless.” No one did it better than him. He wasn’t always loved by this country.

How did you get in the champagne business?

I had a pop corn company, Indiana Popcorn. I sold it.. I have built affordable housing as a real estate developer. After selling the popcorn company, I was looking for a new venture. An opportunity came across my desk.. I realized a unique opportunity. I saw a high end champagne opportunity I could bring to the states. There is a scarcity.

Do you actually own the vineyards or are you a distributor?

I own the grapes. An American cannot own the land in champagne country. I owned the grapes that come off the land in Champagne country in France. We will produce 1 million bottles per annum. This is our goal.

You are traveling the world with champagne what has the reception been?

Incredible and incredible. We are in fourteen states. The United States, France, Belegium, Portgal and Canada and the reception has been overwhelming. In the states we are in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan and New Hampshire. We have cracked the top champagnes. Our champagne is top shelf, top quality. We have the lowest sugar content. No sugar is added to the champagne. We have the 90 plus rated portfolio of champagnes in the U.S. All four of our champagnes are rated 90 and above.

So, what is on your playlist?

Earth Wind and Fire, Marvin Gaye, Wonder and Beyoncé , I love the tribute she did to Maze. I am very old school in my listening.

What three things did you learn from your basketball years?

Who would you like most to have lunch with, with a glass of champagne?

Jesus Christ.