Isaiah Thomas has had one of the most compelling arcs of any other player of his generation. After getting picked dead last in the 2011 Draft, the 5’9 point guard went on to become a lethal scoring threat and back-to-back All-Star in 2016 and 2017. But his meteoric rise was met by an equally steep decline.
After the Boston Celtics traded him to the Cavs for Kyrie Irving, a nagging hip injury has completed derailed what looked to be such a promising career, and more important, a story of inspiration for underdogs around the world. Despite being one of the shortest players in league history, Thomas is a fierce competitor and has proved time again that he can exceed his perceived limitations.
He’s hoping to do so once again as he looks toward his next opportunity to get back into the league. Thomas has been working out and playing pick-up games lately in the hope that an NBA team might come calling during the free agency moratorium, and according to him, he’s back in the best shape of his life.
Via Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe:
Late last month, former Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas went to Los Angeles to work out with his former Wizards teammate, John Wall. While they were training Wall learned of some high-level pickup games taking place in the city, headlined by Nets stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Wall asked Thomas if he wanted to join, and Thomas did not hesitate to say yes.
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“Those guys were like, ‘Damn, welcome back. You really look like yourself,’ ” Thomas recalled. “That only gave me more confidence to be able to play the game again. I mean, I was blowing by people. I haven’t blown by anybody since I had a Celtics uniform on. When I was able to blow by MVP-caliber players, that told me my burst and power and speed are there. I really feel like I’m back.”
Earlier this year, Thomas underwent another procedure on the problematic hip that has been at the center of his physical decline but has been training full-time for the past several months as he continues his rehabilitation. Whether an NBA team believes he can come in and be a contributor remains to be seen.
(Via The Boston Globe)