“Like Meeting MJ”: Ex-Celtics Star Can’t Believe His ‘Crazy’ Luck After Meeting the ‘Michael Jordan of Hockey’

The old adage goes, never meet your heroes. The typical idea is that their larger-than-life persona is ultimately going to disappoint. However, if they do meet the expectations, the entire experience can be magical. Just ask Isaiah Thomas. Despite a superstar-level career, meeting the GOAT of hockey was a surreal experience for him, on par with meeting the likes of Michael Jordan.

In just 2 tweets, the Boston Celtics veteran summarized the entire situation. The first was genuinely heartwarming and a true fanboy moment from IT. “I met Wayne Gretzky today!!! & he knew who I was LOL. That’s crazy” 

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And their interaction during the meet was just as beautiful. When he first found out Wayne was present, Isaiah was truly in shock. “I gotta see him. I don’t even gotta meet him, I just gotta see him.” His companion could understand his awe, claiming, “That’s the Michael Jordan of hockey, bro.” 

But meeting the legend was even more special for the 5’9″ point guard. “I just had to meet you, it’s an honor.” Throughout their interaction, even more than his words, the joy and smile on Thomas’ face were clear indicators of how much the moment meant to him.

Later on, he would equate meeting Gretzky to “Like meeting MJ!!! Crazy!!!”

But, what was the situation and story like when IT first met the Chicago Bulls legend himself in person? Did that meeting live up to his expectations?

What was it like for IT to meet the real Michael Jordan?

During his seminal run in 2017, Thomas was on top of the world. If only it were true for the other Isiah Thoams. All-Star selections, scoring prowess, and all the accolades were coming his way. At 5’9″, his game was a true revelation and a distinct departure from the norm.

But one of the sweetest moments from that run came during the 2017 All-Star weekend. Even then, he was just as shocked and awed at meeting a legend. “Michael Jordan, I met Michael Jordan…He said he’s been watching. He said keep killing [but] take the night off when you play us but keep doing your thing. That’s crazy. I couldn’t sleep [Friday] night when he said that.”

The entire encounter was truly inspiring for Isaiah, “That was probably the biggest [deal] is to have Michael Jordan say that about me and that he’s taking notice. For sure [it motivates me], he’s the greatest player ever. For him to say he’s taking notice in what I’m doing first off lets me know I’m doing something somewhat right and second of all for him to say ‘keep going,’ that’s what I am going to keep doing.”

Perhaps, if the heroes are worth it, meeting them can be a genuinely heartwarming moment.

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