In a well-seasoned and very even piece from the New York Times on Isiah Thomas Saturday, the architect behind the big charity event this weekend starring LeBron James and Dwyane Wade (who the Times reports came to Isiah, not the other way around), Thomas primarily gave the same answers he always does about the Knicks.

“No comment.”

“You’ll have to ask the Knicks about that.”

Etc.

But there it is, tucked a few paragraphs away, in regards to his relationship with New York. He couldn’t leave it alone. He’s like a guy with a sore tooth, he can’t stop touching it. From the Times:

Yet the rumors of Thomas’s influence persist, which is both to his benefit and his detriment. The reports help inflate his reputation as an N.B.A. kingpin, perhaps convincing another owner to hire him. But they also serve as a constant irritant to Knicks officials and to many fans, who resent the idea that Thomas — who was fired in 2008 — is still shaping anything.

Thomas’s name is probably invoked more often in the New York news media than it is in Miami.

“The universe has a way of trying to right itself,” Thomas said, pausing at length. “I’ll leave it at that.”

via Isiah Thomas, Out of the N.B.A, Retains Influence There – NYTimes.com.

Righting itself? It’s easy to see a nice little path from that statement to Thomas believing he was wrongly ousted from the GM position and the universe is trying to re-install him. You know, because the universe has nothing better to do than to try and “fix” the GM position of the New York Knicks by getting back the single worst executive in the history of professional sports. Makes sense.

But this is what Thomas does. He leaves those little notes, drops those little hints, keeps working behind the scenes and making life miserable for Knicks fans as they await the return of the guy whose sexual harassment case wasn’t the worst consequence of his tenure. He’s like the bogeyman. He’s just letting you know he’s around. Even when he’s not around.

by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

To the endless chagrin of New York Knicks fans (and some of the team’s employees), Isiah Thomas’ influence within MSG doesn’t appear to be shrinking.

If anything — even though he’s not allowed to officially work for the Knicks while he coaches college kids — Isiah appears to have more power within the organization than before.

Amar’e Stoudemire is one of several NBA players currently working out at FIU, and according to the NY Daily News, Isiah Thomas (and Knicks owner James Dolan) are hoping to use this opportunity and others to help lure Chris Paul to New York:

ESPN reported that Stoudemire was working out at FIU which happens to be the school Isiah coaches when he isn’t serving as a de facto GM of the Knicks. There were several NBA players working out at FIU, including Atlanta’s Joe Johnson. None of this is surprising since FIU is located in a favored city among NBA players: Miami. Plus, Isiah continues to share a close relationship with some of the league’s top players. That would including Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e and more importantly, Chris Paul.

This is the reason James Dolan continues to lean on Isiah for advice, even though Isiah doesn’t have an official position with the Knicks. (If he did, Isiah would be in violation of NBA bylaws for having contact with players during the lockout). Isiah played a role in the Knicks signing Amar’e two summer’s ago and he played a role in the Melo trade. He’s now working behind the scenes to help the Knicks land Chris Paul.

Knicks fans may rightfully hate that Zeke continues to be involved with their team in any capacity, but if his endless behind-the-scenes machinations help land Chris Paul, one gets the feeling that they’ll quickly forgive and forget his past sins.

James Dolan, the owner of the New York Knicks and head of the Cablevision Systems Incorporated empire, is the front man for a blues band. A blues band that does things like open for Aretha Franklin at the Jones Beach Theater because… well, read the last sentence about being the head af a massive media congolmerate.

He and his band debuted a new song — Fix the Knicks. Complete with tounge-in-cheek Isiah Thomas reference. Sorry Knicks fans.

Here are the lyrics, the video is below (via SLAM, lyrics from Mike Prada at SBN). Again, sorry Knicks fans. Sorry for everything.

Everywhere I go, I hear everybody say
‘What you gonna do to make that team play’
From the folks across the street at 34th and 6th
Everyone who calls says, ‘Hey man, fix the Knicks’

(Chorus)
Fix the Knicks and make them shine
Get on and win like it’s ’69
Hitting all their free throws and no more shooting bricks
Time to get it right and fix the Knicks

Doing my best and that’s my problem
I check with my friend called Isiah Thomas
Pay no mind to those nasty critics
They haven’t done a thing to fix the Knicks

(Chrous)

We know we’re getting better, but still no respect
We score a lot of points, but where’s the defense?
Everyone’s an expert saying ‘Trade your draft picks’
You got to get ‘this guy’ to fix the Knicks

(Chorus, two times)

James Dolan, the owner of the New York Knicks and head of the Cablevision Systems Incorporated empire, is the front man for a blues band. A blues band that does things like open for Aretha Franklin at the Jones Beach Theater because… well, read the last sentence about being the head af a massive media congolmerate.

He and his band debuted a new song — Fix the Knicks. Complete with tounge-in-cheek Isiah Thomas reference. Sorry Knicks fans.

Here are the lyrics, the video is below (via SLAM, lyrics from Mike Prada at SBN). Again, sorry Knicks fans. Sorry for everything.

Everywhere I go, I hear everybody say
‘What you gonna do to make that team play’
From the folks across the street at 34th and 6th
Everyone who calls says, ‘Hey man, fix the Knicks’

(Chorus)
Fix the Knicks and make them shine
Get on and win like it’s ’69
Hitting all their free throws and no more shooting bricks
Time to get it right and fix the Knicks

Doing my best and that’s my problem
I check with my friend called Isiah Thomas
Pay no mind to those nasty critics
They haven’t done a thing to fix the Knicks

(Chrous)

We know we’re getting better, but still no respect
We score a lot of points, but where’s the defense?
Everyone’s an expert saying ‘Trade your draft picks’
You got to get ‘this guy’ to fix the Knicks

(Chorus, two times)

Isiah Thomas will not be the next president and general manager of the New York Knicks. That is very different than saying he will not have influence, but he will not have the job and the title and the desk. Just ask him.

Who will? Probably a few of the guys already in the building in a power sharing arraignment.

That’s becoming the conventional wisdom around the Knicks, as articulated in the Daily News.

The team of Scott O’Neil, Glen Grunwald and Mark Warkentien, all of whom are already employed by the Knicks, are the front-runners to run the basketball operation, the Daily News has learned.

Grunwald is an Isiah Thomas disciple and former general manager of the Toronto Raptors. He currently serves as the Knicks’ senior VP of basketball operations and was named interim GM… Grunwald is highly regarded by his peers around the NBA and within the Knicks organization, having served under both Thomas and Walsh. According to a source, his responsibilities would be to handle the day-to-day functions on the basketball side along with Warkentien, who was hired Jan. 30 as a consultant.

Grunwald and Warkentien would report directly to O’Neil, the president of Madison Square Garden, who began taking on a greater role with the Knicks’ personnel moves dating back to last summer’s free-agent recruitment of LeBron James and including February’s celebrated trade for Carmelo Anthony.

They would replace Donnie Walsh, who was not picked up for a new deal when all he did was return the team to the playoffs after slashing the payroll in half.

Maybe some places this power sharing can work. But in Madison Square Garden under James Dolan? Yes, I have my doubts, too. But this may be the direction things are headed for the Knicks.