The Hall of Fame player is the former coach and head of basketball operations for the New York Knicks. A magnet for controversy both on and off the court, he's been widely blamed for the team's lackluster performance and he also lost an embarrassing sexual harassment lawsuit in 2007.

A Chicago native, Thomas was recruited to play college ball by the Indiana Hoosiers under legendarily volatile coach Bob Knight. A fan favorite and team captain, he was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 1981 and played with the team for the duration of his career, thirteen years. A two time NBA champion and twelve time All-Star, Thomas was best known for his dribbling skills and his ability to drive the ball to the basket. However, Thomas' penchant for controversy began while he was a player: he was apparently left off the "Dream Team" due to a feud with Michael Jordan, and players like Jordan and Magic Johnson conspired to keep Thomas off the squad. After Thomas retired, he became a part owner and executive of the Toronto Raptors but was forced out of the position after a dispute about the future of the team. He took a stab at ownership again with the Continental Basketball Association, but the organization was forced to declare bankruptcy a year after Thomas took over. Thomas then transitioned to coaching the Indiana Pacers after the beloved Larry Bird, and when the team failed to maintain dominance in the Eastern Conference, Thomas was bounced.

But nothing could prepare Thomas for his years with the Knicks. As both President of Basketball Operations and coach of the team, Thomas came in with the Knicks' having the highest payroll in the league but the second-worst record. Thomas did little to ameliorate the situation, acquiring the underwhelming Eddy Curry at the expense of good draft picks and leading the team to tie the franchise record of 59 losses in a single season. To top it off, Thomas was accused of sexually assaulting a fellow Knicks executive, for which he settled out of court for nearly $12 million and then months later was hospitalized for a drug overdose. Thomas "resigned" from the Knicks in 2008 with an overall .341 winning percentage and went on to briefly coach the FIU Panthers, which went about as well as his time with Knicks. [Image via Getty]