"This is my pretty woman, she needs a lot of sucking up": Isiah Thomas once re-enacted iconic Julia Roberts moment with his mom in grand gesture

Isiah Thomas' mother Mary Thomas passed away on Wednesday at the age of 87. The Chicago woman left behind seven children and 50 or more grandchildren. She raised one of the greatest players to play in the NBA in her youngest son.

Isiah Thomas had an incredible career in the world's biggest basketball league. He played in the Michael Jordan era and made a name for himself as a Detroit Piston. He loved his mother and once reenacted an iconic scene from Julia Robert's movie "Pretty Woman."

While talking to ESPN on Wednesday, Thomas recalled the incident.

"That was a great day," he said. "I got her a big limousine and brought her downtown, and we walked in and I told the people working, 'This is my pretty woman, and she needs a lot of sucking up.'"

He also revealed that her mother's picture from that day was his phone's screensaver at the time. In the picture, his mother was standing in front of the limousine with a cigarette in her mouth and Prada bags all around her.

During his 13-year career in the NBA, Isiah Thomas won two championships and 12 All-Star nominations. He also won the Finals MVP in 1990 after he helped the Pistons secure the championship with a 4-1 record against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Isiah Thomas continues his mother's legacy and wins the Sam Lacey Pioneer Award

After retiring from professional basketball, Isiah Thomas actively engaged himself in activism. Thomas' mother was one of the well-known activists in Chicago and at one point, the Detroit Pistons icon was recognized as her son instead of a professional baller.

During a talk with Rob Johnson on his podcast, the 12-time All-Star revealed that his mother had a street named after her in Chicago at Holman and Jackson.

Thomas announced the news of winning the Sam Lacey Pioneer Award a few weeks ago with a post on his Instagram handle and expressed his thoughts in the caption.

"Thank you, @nabjofficial and @nabj_chicago, for honoring me with the Sam Lacey Pioneer Award 2024. I truly appreciate the love and respect for all of you who continue to work and honor your craft."

The Pistons icon was awarded the Sam Lacey Pioneer Award for his work against racism and in support of racial and gender equality. However, Isiah Thomas wasn't the only big name associated with the award.

The other nominees for the honor featured Dorothy Gaters, the late Walter Payton and WNBA icon Candace Parker.