10 Worst Stories of Athletes Gambling

7. Isiah Thomas

Other than winning an NBA Finals and proving to be one of the best point guards in NBA history, Isiah Thomas was allegedly a VERY high-stakes craps player.

In 1990, Isiah Thomas became a target in a Federal gambling investigation for running numerous mob-operated high stakes dice games out of his home.

Won the NBA Finals and accepted his NBA Finals MVP award just 2 days prior to these accusations going public.

Questionable cash-checking activities out of a chain of grocery stores owned by his friend and neighbor, Emmet Denha, a convincted Detroit mafia associate brought addtional suspicion to Isiah Thomas.

Isiah firmly denied the allegations; “I don’t even know how this happened. I don’t believe you should gamble. I think gambling is one of the stupidest things you can do. You always lose.”

However, his lawyers later admitted he participated in some dice games here and there, but never anything of high stakes.

Others close to him were worried about Isiah’s gambling and possible connection with the Detroit Mafia or the Giacalone family including Pistons teammate and childhood friend Mark Aguirre, who reached out to FBI because he was concerned about Isiah’s gambling involvement & his possible mob ties.