NEW YORK — Isiah Thomas didn't wait for his day in court to start defending himself against a sexual harassment lawsuit.

Ignoring legal advice to keep quiet, the New York Knicks president spoke publicly Wednesday about the lawsuit brought against him by a recently fired team executive who said he engaged in "demeaning and repulsive behavior" that team executives refused to address.

The suit was filed in federal court Tuesday by Anucha Browne Sanders, the Knicks' former senior vice president of marketing and business operations, and Thomas made clear what he thinks is the motive behind it.

"I will not allow her or anybody, man or woman, to use me as a pawn for their financial gain," he said.

Thomas said he was ignoring his lawyers' advice to stay mum.

"It is not their name, it's not their family, it's not their career and it's not their reputation that's being hurt," he said.

Browne Sanders was fired last Thursday. She said her problems with Thomas began soon after he was hired in 2003, and decided she finally had to act when she felt she was being ignored by her bosses at Madison Square Garden.