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Isiah Thomas and James Dolan: Reunited and it feels so ... odd

Isiah Thomas acknowledges applause from the crowd during a preseason NBA game between the Toronto Raptors and Sacramento Kings in Vancouver back in October.
Isiah Thomas acknowledges applause from the crowd during a preseason NBA game between the Toronto Raptors and Sacramento Kings in Vancouver back in October.
(Darryl Dyck / Associated Press)
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Isiah Thomas has been hired to run the New York Liberty.

That’s the WNBA franchise owned by James Dolan, the Madison Square Garden CEO who also owns the New York Knicks.

That’s the same New York Knicks franchise that endured a disastrous stint with Thomas as its team president and coach, which included his implication in a sexual harassment case that wound up costing MSG an $11.7-million settlement.

Even though Thomas won’t have any role with the Knicks, the fact that Dolan brought him back into the fold as the Liberty’s president with responsibility for basketball and business operations, with also an ownership interest in the franchise seems a bit odd.

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“He’s an excellent judge of talent, and I’m confident that he will put all of his energy and experience into making the Liberty a perennially competitive and successful team,” Dolan said of Thomas in a statement.

Dolan is talking about a guy who went 56-108 as Knicks coach and made all kinds of crazy decisions during his 4 1/2-year tenure as team president that regularly gave the team the NBA’s highest payroll while never winning a playoff game.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead the New York Liberty and help the franchise reclaim its position as one of the elite teams in the WNBA,” Thomas said.

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Like I said, very odd.

Twitter: @chewkiii

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