‘Home is where the heart is’ can have many meanings, but for one of Detroit’s favorite athletes, this has particular resonance. Isiah Thomas, the Hall of Fame point guard orchestrated the ‘Bad Boy’ Detroit Pistons’ march to the NBA mountaintop. The ‘Motor City’ was where he met the late great Aretha Franklin. During her funeral ceremony in 2018, Thomas spoke about how Franklin gave him the courage to speak about the injustice and since then he has never been shy to speak up.

Senior Reporter at Michigan Advance Ken Coleman on X wrote about the important event regarding Franklin “On this day in 2017: A section of Madison Street in downtown Detroit has been named Aretha Franklin Way. The area is at the heart of the city’s performing arts district. Franklin is a legendary recording artist who moved to Detroit at age 4.”

Isiah Thomas wrote, “Let it be Known @HistoryLivesDet ❤️❤️ Aretha Franklin.” Thomas was just 20 years old when he moved to Pistons. The ‘Queen of Soul’ and his mother Mary Thomas, connected through music. Her music was comforting for the family during difficult days in the ’60s and ’70s. And later, Franklins were the first family he met in Detroit.

When Thomas was leading the Pistons to back to back championship, Franklin and Mary would always watch the game from the stands. The 18-time Grammy award winner also considered Thomas her favorite ‘Bad Boy’. “She loved the Detroit pistons and I know I was her favorite Bad Boy,” said Thomas, at her home-going service at Greater Grace Temple in Detroit.

Thomas recalls how “naive” he was about his perspective and it was the Franklins who taught him about how the world works.

Isiah Thomas’s soul was touched

“Isiah Thomas claims that he didn’t know how to pay my bills when he first came to the motor city. “I didn’t know how to pay an electric bill. I knew nothing and this family took care of me,” Thomas said. And when Mary Thomas unfortunately passed away in 2010, Isiah had support from Franklin.

Through her teachings, Thomas became the voice of the community. After arriving in Detroit he partnered up with Mayor Coleman Young on “No Crime Day.” He also spoke about the time when South African freedom fighter Nelson Mandela visited Detroit on June 28, 1990. Mandela wore a Detroit jacket and hat to send a strong message that players are citizens too.

According to Thomas, the Detroit Pistons were always talking about race, class, and injustice. Those are some things that the Pistons were known for back in those days. Even though they were winning championships, the activism off the court was truly what they were known for. It was all possible because of Aretha Franklin who taught the “naive” boy the right ways of life.

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