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Hiring Isiah Thomas as a WNBA president is the worst decision of James Dolan's career

This post has been updated with comments from the Madison Square Garden organization and WNBA president Laurel Richie.

AP Photo

AP Photo

Isiah Thomas is coming back to Madison Square Garden, but this time he’s not going to ruin the Knicks.

At least not yet.

James Dolan re-hired Thomas to be the president and a part-owner of the New York Liberty, the New York WNBA team. The announcement comes eight years after a jury ruled that Thomas sexually harassed Anucha Browne Sanders, a former team executive. At the time of the ruling, the team owners were ordered to pay Browne Sanders $11.6 million.

It’s a ruling that would have gotten even the most talented person fired from most jobs. It’s one that should have barred Thomas from ever working in basketball again — much less with college kids as he did for three years at FIU after being eventually fired from the Knicks. (He was fired from FIU as well.) And it’s one that should without a doubt stop him from being in charge of a women’s basketball team.

In case you forgot how lewd and awful Thomas’ actions were off-the-court during his time with the Knicks, a brief reminder:

The harassment verdict was partly anticlimactic, because the jury had sent a note to the judge a day earlier indicating that it believed Thomas, the Garden and Dolan sexually harassed Browne Sanders, a former vice president for marketing. A 44-year-old former Northwestern University basketball star, she is a married mother of three.

The jurors had heard Browne Sanders testify that Thomas, after arriving as team president in 2004, routinely addressed her as “bitch” and “ho” in outbursts over marketing commitments. He later did an abrupt about-face, declaring his love and suggesting an “off-site” liaison, she said.

Testimony in the trial also included tales of Stephon Marbury having sex with an intern outside of a strip club and Thomas trying to hug and kiss Browne Sanders.

Dolan was among the witnesses that testified against Browne Sanders, making it clear in the courtroom that he never believed her. It seemed at the time like a smart strategy to avoid paying millions. It was hard to stomach that he could actually believe what he was saying. Now, it’s clear that he truly did.

In a statement provided to For The Win, the team’s ownership said: “We did not believe the allegations then, and we don’t believe them now. We feel strongly that the jury improperly and unfairly held Isiah Thomas responsible for sordid allegations that were completely unrelated to him, and for which MSG bore responsibility.

“In fact, when given the opportunity, the jury did not find Isiah liable for punitive damages, confirming he did not act maliciously or in bad faith. We believe Isiah belongs in basketball, and are grateful that he has committed his considerable talent to help the Liberty succeed.”

After the announcement on Tuesday, on social media, fans seemed most alarmed about what this meant for the future of the Knicks — after all it seems like a sure sign Thomas has made his way back into Dolan’s good graces.

But what it means for the Liberty is far worse than just a couple of wins and losses. Sure the WNBA is not as popular as the NBA and many will make jokes about the Liberty. But one of the most important things about the WNBA is that there are thousands of young girls around the country who go to the games, cheer their hearts out for their favorite players and are encouraged to play sports because they watch these women play. And despite skeptics, they play fantastic basketball.

Like women around the world, they should be able to come to work without the fear of someone sexually harassing them and without playing for a team owner who didn’t see an $11.6 million verdict (and the horrifying testimony) as being enough of a reason to not even consider letting that person near them.

In a statement, Thomas said he was thrilled with his new opportunity.

“These women are outstanding athletes who want to compete for a championship in New York,” he said. “I look forward to this challenge – not just to win a title, but also to help broaden the team’s fanbase.”

It’d be great if more people supported the Liberty. But this isn’t the way to go about it. And until the team can provide a safe workplace for its players fans should boycott it.

In a statement, WNBA president Laurel Richie wrote that the WNBA was aware of The Madison Square Garden organization’s announcement about Thomas and “that he will take an ownership interest in the team, pending WNBA approval. New owners are approved by our WNBA Board of Governors, and this process has not yet begun.”

Let’s hope they do the right thing.

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