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Zeke Thomas celebrates Father’s Day with a special message to his father, NBA legend Isiah Thomas

Posted on by angelo
Zeke Thomas celebrates Father’s Day with a special message to his father, NBA legend Isiah Thomas

Isiah Thomas is considered one of the greatest NBA players of all time and a tenacious competitor. But to his son, he is just “dad,” and that’s the best title of all.

Zeke Thomas, who publicly came out as gay when he was a college sophomore, sent a special Father’s Day wish to his old man on Sunday. Zeke’s letter was produced in collaboration with CBS Sports.

“The world knows you as the legendary Isiah Thomas. But this Father’s Day, I wrote to the man behind the myth: My father, whose passion became a necessary gift,” he says at the top.

Successful DJ Zeke made headlines seven years ago when he revealed he had been sexually assaulted twice. The first case occurred when he was 12, in the back of a van with other children. Zeke says he was forced to perform oral sex against his will.

The second incident occurred years later while hooking up on Grindr. Living in Chicago at the time, Zeke invited his attacker for drinks in Boys Town, the city’s main gay neighborhood. He supposed it was a safe place: Zeke frequented the area often and knew many of the bartenders. But after one drink he didn’t feel well.

Zeke remembers being transported into a taxi, then waking up on the couch in his apartment, when his attacker handed him a glass of water. “It was great. Let’s get together,” he said.

The interaction was frightening.

“My ass was destroyed. Destroy. I’m bleeding,” Zeke said new York Review. “And I’m just like…terrified.” I can not move. I didn’t leave my apartment for two days. I did not move. I didn’t talk to anyone. I froze.

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A year later, Zeke went public with his story. Today, he remains an ambassador for the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.

“I want to give a voice to the voiceless,” he said. Hello America. “Healing truly begins with the voice. Healing begins with: “This happened to me. I can get through this. »

Around the same time, Zeke wrote a song about dealing with assault and its traumatic aftermath: “Dealin’ With It.” The music video for the single begins with a sample of his GMA interview.

“This video is for my friends who helped me overcome my trauma,” he said. Billboard. “I hope everyone who has survived or is going through trauma can deal with it in a positive way and get the love and support they need.”

Growing up, Zeke says his father never pushed him into athletics or forced him to follow a particular path in life. Isiah only asked that his son “honor the family name.”

It’s safe to say that Zeke did just that.

Isiah Thomas, a 12-time All-Star and 2-time NBA champion, was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000. He played his entire 13-year career with the Detroit Pistons before becoming a coach.

Although Thomas is a basketball legend, he experienced racial animosity as head coach of the Indiana Pacers. Zeke says his father needed police escorts to games because of the threats he received.

From a young age, Zeke learned what it meant to be a black man in America, even with a decorated NBA resume. In the aforementioned Father’s Day video, he thanks his father for teaching him how to navigate his dual identity.

“As an NBA champion, you have gone through ups and downs. Quietly, your support helped me build my own crown,” he says. “As I navigated my dual identities, black and queer, your imparted resilience helped me overcome my fears. »

Zeke continues: “A bad boy from the Pistons became a great father. This Father’s Day, we celebrate the lessons that children can teach. Choose to love your children, no matter who they love or who they become. You earned your place in the Father’s Day Hall of Fame for living without hate and becoming a beacon of change.

Isiah’s unwavering love for his gay son mirrors the relationship another NBA legend, Magic Johnson, has with his son EJ.

Earlier this month, Magic wished EJ a very happy birthday.

Zeke says his father and Magic show that a father’s love is unequivocal.

“Look at my dad and Magic,” he said. “You have strong black men, whose sons are gay and who are also strong black men, living and speaking their truth. “I want all young black, brown and white queer people to know that we are going to breathe. We will continue. We will continue walking.

Wherever Zeke goes, we’re happy to follow.

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