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Isiah Thomas holds court with New York media, doesn't rule out NBA return

Rick Osentoski / USA TODAY Sports

Newly minted New York Liberty president and part-owner Isiah Thomas took to a podium Thursday to answer questions from the Gotham media about the controversy surrounding his hiring.

The Madison Square Garden Company was forced to pay a woman $11.6 million in 2007 after a jury decided MSG was liable for allegations that Thomas sexually harassed her and firing her for complaining about it.

Thomas was coach of the New York Knicks at the time.

"I've always maintained my innocence," Thomas told reporters Thursday. "I've moved on from that, our organization has moved on from that. I've lived my life."

Many are questioning MSG's re-hiring of Thomas given that history, especially considering he's at the helm of a women's basketball team. Liberty center Tina Charles was honest about the issue Thursday.

"We're here to play basketball," Charles told Adam Zagoria of SNY. "I'm a big Knicks fan. We all know what happened when he was here. He left a bad taste in our mouth."

Be that as it may, Thomas is now one of the faces of the WNBA and its efforts to appeal to a wider audience.

"We need America to fall in love with our sport," Thomas said.

A Hall of Fame player who ranks as one of the greatest point guards of all time, Thomas has managed to enjoy a substantial career as a coach and executive despite blunders running the Knicks, Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers and the now-defunct Continental Basketball Association.

Thomas won't rule out a return to the NBA either. "You never know where you're going to end up," he said.

For his part, Liberty coach Bill Laimbeer - a teammate on the Detroit Pistons powers of the late 1980s and early '90s - doesn't think Thomas will find his way down the hall from the Liberty back to the Knicks.

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