PHILADELPHIA – Some of the lovey-dovey lines appearing in the sexual harassment suit filed by Anucha Browne Sanders against Knicks president Isiah Thomas didn’t surprise Terry Daly, the wife of Hall of Fame coach Chuck Daly, because she knows Thomas to be playful and “flirty,” but never in a harassing manner.
“That’s the way he is,” Terry Daly said. “He’s a flirty-type, a jokester. He likes to pull tricks. He’s just a nice person. I’m not saying he’s perfect, but when I’ve been around him, he’s always been terrific. He’s always good for laughs.”
Chuck Daly coached Thomas for nine seasons in Detroit, winning back-to-back NBA championships with the “Bad Boy” Pistons in 1989 and 1990. But it was Daly’s wife who got to know Thomas and his family more on a personal basis.
The Dalys live in Jupiter, Fla., and pick up the national edition of the Post every day. Terry Daly has been horrified to see Thomas become front-page news because of the suit brought by Sanders, the Knicks’ former marketing director, against Thomas and the Garden.
I feel very sad,” Terry Daly told the Post in a phone interview from Florida. “I just can’t believe it’s happening. I feel sorry for Lynn [Isiah’s wife] and the two kids. I’ve never seen him in a situation like that. I’ve always seen him with Lynn and the two of them were always great together.”
The Dalys attended Thomas’ wedding in Chicago and got to know Lynn well.
“She’s very strong and she has had to be strong,” Lynn said. “Most of the women need to be strong in the NBA because their husbands are never home. She was in charge of everything.”
Even though Stephon Marbury called the claims by Sanders “a joke,” these times at the Garden are as tense as ever. Garden employees have rushed to Thomas’ defense, and chairman James Dolan has issued a vote of confidence. The Garden is listed as co-defendants in the suit, so Dolan and Thomas are stuck together . . . for now.
According to a handful of Sanders’ co-workers, Sanders overstepped her duties at times, even once berating a former player, Clarence Weatherspoon, for being overweight. One employee called her “a bully” yesterday, and it’s clear Dolan’s minions are prepared to fight for Thomas.
But the issue clearly is a distraction. Even as the Knicks finally broke their six-game losing streak Friday against red-hot Orlando, the lawsuit was still not far away. Thomas held a Garden press conference an hour before tip-off, and emotionally refuted some of the specific charges.
In the 97-94 victory, in which the Knicks nearly blew a 25-point third-quarter lead, Marbury’s left shoulder injury worsened, with indications it could linger the rest of the season. Twice, he grabbed his shoulder in pain, one time forcing the Knicks to call timeout. A limited Marbury took just six shots in the victory and admitted there are certain moves he can’t make.
The Knicks hit the midpoint of their season 14-27 – 13 games below .500 – entering last night’s encounter in Philadelphia. Marbury was still saying he’d play, though Brown admitted he’s unable to run certain plays for his star point guard.
Antonio Davis, who served the final game of his five-game suspension last night, will join the team in Atlanta today for practice and be ready for tomorrow’s game against the Hawks.