On October 23, 2008, police officers responded to a 911 call about a man being unconscious due to a sleeping pills overdose inside the house of Detroit Pistons Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas . According to reports, the first responders gave the person oxygen until an ambulance arrived.
Police said that the victim was a 47-year-old male. Meanwhile, Thomas told reporters that it was his daughter Lauren who had a medical emergency and had to be rushed to the hospital. Six months later, Isiah changed his tune and admitted that he was the one who had an overdose. However, the legendary guard insisted that his daughter was also hospitalized that day and that he thought the reporter was asking about her.
"On that day, my daughter and I were both in the hospital," Thomas said . "She went early in the afternoon, OK? I went later in the evening. When I woke up, there was a reporter on the other end, and he said, 'Are you OK?' And I think I said, 'My daughter's in the hospital, and no, we are not OK,' or something to that effect."
The police chief said Zeke blamed his daughter
Harrison Police Chief David Hall reacted to Zeke's statement that his daughter needed medical attention that day. According to him, it was evident in the police report that the victim was male. Hall also said it was crazy that Thomas would say such a thing about his daughter.
"It wasn't his daughter," David said. "And why they're throwing her under the bus is beyond my ability to understand…My cops know the difference between a 47-year-old black male and a young black female. These people should learn something from Richard Nixon -- it's not the crime, it's the cover-up."
Other than insisting that it was Lauren who needed medical attention, not him, Thomas also denied that it was a case of overdose but refused to say what happened to her.
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Isiah later admitted
Zeke signed a five-year contract to become the head coach of Florida International in April 2009. During one of his early interviews at his new job, Thomas was asked about the incident and admitted that he was the person who suffered an overdose.
"People said, 'Well, why didn't you correct it?' And that's not how I live," Zeke added. "I've got to take care of my family. I didn't really care about correcting anything. My main focus was my family, and that's always been my focus, and that's what I'll always do. At the end of the day, people know the kind of person that I am."
The overdose incident was a culmination of what had already been a tough 2008 for Zeke. Not only did he get fired as the New York Knicks coach and President, but Isiah was also dealing with a sexual harassment case filed by a former Knicks employee. Thomas lasted only three seasons as FIU head coach.
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