Isiah Thomas is one of the best "little men" to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Twice he led the Detroit Pistons to NBA Championships and he has been an NBA All-Star 11 times in 12 seasons. Thomas survived a tough childhood in a Chicago ghetto and, with the help of a strong mother and a loving family, he reached the top of his sport.

Isiah Lord Thomas III was born April 30, 1961, in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in a ghetto on Chicago's West Side, the youngest of seven boys and two girls born to Mary and Isiah Thomas II. "He was well behaved, but spoiled," his mother told Sports Illustrated. "He's still like that, spoiled rotten--by me and his brothers. They try to put the blame on me, and I can't say I didn't treat him special. He was the baby. He got special attention."

Dad leaves

Thomas's...