Isaiah Thomas could easily feel that he’s above this.
He was an All-Star less than a decade ago, receiving MVP votes and starring for arguably the sport’s most iconic franchise.
Now, he’s playing in front of a couple thousand screaming, field-tripping elementary school students on a Tuesday morning. None of these kids know who he is. All of them are more interested in seeing the dancing mascot or singing songs from “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” than anything happening on the court.
The stark change in scenery doesn’t faze Thomas, nor does he scoff at it. He’s spent nearly two years begging for another chance to play professional basketball, and having his wish granted by the G League’s Salt Lake City Stars last week is enough to bring him to tears.
“I just love this (expletive) too much,” an emotional Thomas told reporters after the Stars’ Tuesday win over the Wisconsin Herd. “It would be so easy to just quit and be at the crib, anybody can do that. I know I got so much more left in the tank ... I’m just super thankful to be out here, for real. I’m appreciative of everybody that’s been pulling for me.”
Thomas has been excellent in his three games since arriving in Utah, averaging 32 points, 5.7 assists and shooting 41% from distance. In Tuesday’s action at the Delta Center, the 5-foot-9 guard dropped 34 points with five assists, seven rebounds and another seven made 3-pointers.
The stats don’t paint a full picture. Thomas fights through screens and moves frantically without the ball, even chirping at the opposing bench and gleefully approaching teammates after made shots or successful defensive efforts. He isn’t mailing this in. He’s fighting with the same tenacity that made him a household name in the league he’s now desperate to rejoin.
“I’ve done most of the work trying to get somebody to give me an opportunity,” Thomas said. “The G League gave me an opportunity, the Stars gave me an opportunity to showcase who I still am, to showcase what I bring other than putting the ball in the basket and making plays. I impact anything and everything when I’m in the building, and I know that for a fact. That’s what I’m here to do.”
The cards were stacked against Thomas from the beginning. Undersized guards with defensive uncertainty and drafted 60th overall almost never equate to role player status, let alone that of an impact player. The exception, of course, is Thomas, who immediately outperformed his fellow Sacramento Kings rookies — including a guy named Jimmer Fredette — to blossom into an explosive scorer and flashy passing threat.
Thomas became a fan favorite upon arriving in Boston in 2015, making two All-Star squads, earning a Second Team All-NBA nod and almost single-handedly dragging the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2017. It was in that series where Thomas suffered a serious hip injury, knocking him out for the remainder of the playoffs.
It would be the last time he’d suit up for Boston.
Celtics general manager Danny Ainge promptly shipped Thomas to Cleveland that summer in a package to acquire Kyrie Irving. The trade shocked Thomas, having previously hoped the franchise would offer him a $200 million-plus max contract the next year. He loved Boston, but now hated Ainge. “I might not ever talk to Danny again,” he later told Sports Illustrated.
Thomas was never the same after the hip injury, choosing to play through his issues rather than undergo surgery in hopes of keeping teams interested in offering him superstar money. It didn’t work. The Cavaliers gave up on him after 15 games, and he’s since made 10 stops for eight teams, becoming the poster child among NBA stars clamoring for load management.
“I had a few tough years where sometimes you just feel like quitting because it’s just too much,” Thomas said. “But I always say that’s the easy thing to do, so I just stayed at it, continued to trust the process and continued to enjoy the journey, and I’m back playing basketball. I’m back healthy, and it’s a super cool feeling because I never thought I’d be able to play with no pain no more.”
Two years removed from his last NBA appearance and now finally painless, Thomas is fully embracing his new G League surroundings. His absence of pain is coupled with an absence of ego, going out of his way to assist, instruct and mentor his younger teammates in their own pursuits of professional success. “I had people in my corner who did that for me and laid the foundation of being a professional ... I think that’s the most important asset you can add to any organization.”
“He’s just been an absolute joy,” Stars head coach Steve Wojciechowski said of Thomas. “He’s thrown himself into the group, he’s shared outstanding play, but he’s shared himself and his knowledge with the group. It’s been an honor to be around him, and I know the guys that are playing with him are learning from him each and every day.”
“The young dudes are going at me, and I love the competition,” Thomas said. “I’ve definitely gone from zero to 100, but who cares? I’d rather have this than the other way around.”
Being with the Stars has even been healing for Thomas. He’s reconnected with Ainge, now a Jazz executive, who proved crucial in bringing his former point guard to Salt Lake. “Danny helped make this thing happen, he connected the dots.”
But Thomas’ dream to play meaningful NBA minutes again isn’t necessarily about himself. He has his kids in mind, hoping this experience will teach them about resilience and determination. Being an All-Star was great, but Thomas longs to be something greater: an example.
“I don’t want them to hit a wall in life and give up,” Thomas said of his three children. “They’re really seeing me and watching my every move right now, so even if I wanted to, I couldn’t give up. I got a few more years of this at least, I’m gonna chase everything that I possibly can, give the game everything I possibly can ... I know I’m helping my kids, but if I can help just one person with what they’re going through, that’s my job and I’ve done it.”
Time isn’t exactly on Thomas’ side. He’s 35 and playing with metal in his hip. The Stars have just seven regular-season contests remaining. This very well could be his last shot to make an NBA return — but Thomas refuses to lose hope. His ultimate strength is his belief.
“I know these opportunities don’t come all the time, and I know that being hurt at 5-foot-9 they kinda look past you, they don’t think you can be as special as you were before,” Thomas said. “But ask anyone that’s gotta guard me, I’m that same player.
“... I’m just gonna continue to fight, continue to do it with a smile on my face, and I know at some point somebody’s gonna give me a chance, and I always say I’m gonna laugh at the things I’ve been put through.”
