Healthy Thomas wants another shot
Celtics watch fan favorite play in G League
SALT LAKE CITY — The roar of the crowd was still there Tuesday morning at Delta Center. Yet instead of 20,000 fans showing their approval when Isaiah Thomas knocks down a 3-pointer with his left-handed stroke at TD Garden, the loud affirmation comes from approximately 2,000 kids from nine local elementary schools, many of whom were loudest for the T-shirt toss during a timeout.
This is the NBA G League. This is where players can languish in anonymity or forgotten prospects such as 33-year-old Jeremy Tyler, the first to begin the trend of foregoing his senior year of high school for a paid contract, still chase their NBA dreams, however miniscule their chances.
This is where Thomas, the former two-time All-Star, the man who captivated Boston for his 2½-year stint in the mid-2010s, is auditioning for one more NBA opportunity. He just completed his third game for the Salt Lake City Stars, the Jazz affiliate, thanks to team president Danny
Ainge, who acquired Thomas for the Celtics 2015 and then traded him two years later to the Cavaliers after the guard seriously injured his hip and then continued to play on the injury until he could barely run.
Thomas was never the same player after that injury. He said he had metal in his hip after a final corrective surgery but is completely healthy. But he also just turned 35 and hasn’t played in the league in two years. NBA teams frown upon 30-somethings these days, and there are a handful of former All-Stars such as DeMarcus Cousins and Austin Rivers who are no longer wanted.
Thomas maintains hope because he loves the game so much.
“I just love this [expletive] too much,” he said. “It would be just so easy to quit and be at the
crib. Anybody can do that. I know I got so much more left in the tank. The biggest hill I had to overcome was being hurt. That was depressing because I’ve ever been in a situation where I can’t control what’s going on.”
Thomas scored 34 points in Salt Lake’s win Tuesday, hitting seven threes. It was effortless but not beneath him. He mentored teammates, discussed calls with officials, giving one a fist bump after a discussion. He’s happy to be here because it’s ball.
“It’s a good feeling and I just love basketball,” he said in a specially arranged media session usually reserved for Jazz players and coaches. “When the game starts, in between the lines it feels the same. I’m excited about the opportunity. I appreciate the opportunity. Continue to sharpen my skills and get the rust off.”
Thomas’s last NBA stint was as a backup with the Hornets two seasons ago. He averaged 8.3 points in 17 games and served as a mentor to LaMelo Ball. But in the offseason, the Hornets never even offered a training camp invite and instead chose to sign Ish Smith. Thomas has been working out in Seattle since, still expressing his desire to play on social media, maintaining a positive attitude despite suffering a career-altering injury and missing out on a potential $100 contract extension.
“Once I overcame my hip issue, I had a great attitude about everything,” he said. “You guys know my goal: I want to get back in the NBA and on a roster. But I can play basketball with no pain. I never thought that would happen again, so that’s most important. But I’m blessed, man. As you know, I had a few tough years, sometimes you just feel like quitting because it’s just too much.
“I always say that’s the easy thing to do, so I just stay at it, continue to trust the process, enjoy the journey. I’m back playing basketball. I’m back healthy. It’s a super cool feeling because I never thought I would be able to play with no pain.”
Thomas has no enemies or adversaries in the NBA. He’s easy to root for, a 5-foot-9 inch scoring ace who was the last pick in the 2011 draft. He was the everyday man who rose to great success and then had it taken away when he played through a significant injury in chasing a championship.
Coincidentally, or maybe not, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, who joined the club after Thomas was traded, watched Tuesday’s game from the stands along with assistants Tony Dobbins and Matt Reynolds. Mazzulla’s brother Justin is on the Stars’ coaching staff.
The Celtics do have an open roster spot, and their quest for a significant roster addition is unlikely in the buyout market. There would be a groundswell of support from some Celtics faithful to use that slot on Thomas, perhaps as a means of retribution for his sacrifice.
“It’s real love,” he said. “As you know, Boston love is real. Don’t matter what happened in the past. All those guys communicate with me still. I’m always locked in on Celtics games. That was a big part of my life. That was an important time in my life as well, so it’s always going to be love for everybody who’s in that organization that was a helping hand to me and my family. I appreciate the support. That [expletive] goes a long way.”
It’s uncertain whether Thomas will return to the NBA. Players such as Taj Gibson are still hanging around, as the 38-year-old signed a 10-day contract with the Pistons. It takes just one team and Thomas is banking on one more chance, another run for the roses with a healthy body. His faith is carrying him through this journey.
“I just know I got a lot left,” he said. “I got at least a few years left to give the game everything I have and I’m just going to keep striving to be that. I don’t have to prove I have skill. I don’t have to prove I can still play at a high level. It might be other things that’s holding things back and I don’t know what it is. But you can’t say I’m a bad teammate. I don’t think there’s no one person would could say I rubbed them the wrong way.
“I’m just going to continue to fight, continue to do it with a smile on my face, and I know at some point somebody’s going to give me a chance.”