Isaiah Thomas Sends A Message To The NBA
Thomas reveals that he's "fighting for an opportunity"
It’s been nearly two years since point guard Isaiah Thomas played in a NBA game. But that doesn’t mean he’s ready to call it a career yet.
On Wednesday, he joined the Salt Lake City Stars, a G-League team affiliated with the Utah Jazz. He played his first game on Thursday, in which he scored a game-high 32 points against the Texas Legends.
During a recent episode of FanDuel TV’s Run It Back, Thomas revealed his current plan when it comes to basketball.
"Ultimately I'm just fighting for an opportunity,” Thomas said. “I'm just trying to show teams that I'm still able to produce on the court, but I'm also, most importantly, I'm able to teach these young guys."
Thomas, 35, has been attempting to stay on a NBA team for a while. Over his last five seasons, he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, and Charlotte Hornets. This comes after playing with the Boston Celtics, with whom he shone brightly.
During his three years with Boston (2015-17), he averaged 24.7 points, 6.0 assists, and 1.0 steals a game, leading them to the playoffs all three years. The 2016-17 campaign was his best one, however, as he averaged a career-high 28.9 points. It was also that season when he scored a career-high 52 points against the Miami Heat. His efforts led the Celtics to the playoffs, getting as far as the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost to the Cavaliers in five games. He never let up in the postseason, though, as he logged in 23.3 points per contest. He even recorded 53 points against the Wizards in Game 2 of the Semifinals.
Even though it’s doubtful if Thomas will step foot on a NBA court again, he definitely had an amazing career.
Cory Nelson is a contributor to Fansided’s “Wiz of Awes”. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson and Instagram @ckenzynelson