“I’m playing until I’m 40… I want to play until I can’t no more. For Sure”. Making the revelation during an April 2019 interview, Isaiah Thomas cleared things up amidst his injury woes. The want to continue playing existed in the player’s mind even as his hip and thumb troubles continued to bother him in the upcoming seasons. From a far-away glance, it seemed Thomas’s career was concluded, judging from his limited appearances in the 2023-24 season, and the G-League shift. However, a promise is a promise, which is something the 2x NBA All-Star now looks to remind NBA enthusiasts and his haters.

ESPN’s Shams Charania recently announced that Isaiah Thomas is set to make his NBA return with the G-League. Over the upcoming days, the 35-year-old point guard will play alongside the Utah Jazz’s G-League Affiliate: the Salt Lake City Stars. Highlighting Charania’s update on his own X feed, Thomas confirmed the news by posting an inspirational message to any who would come across it.

He wrote, “Just running my own race! Don’t be mad at me cuz I’m chasing something I love! Get yo a-s up and do the same,” accompanied by a chequered flag emoji.

The following quote by Isaiah Thomas came amidst reports of fan reactions to the player’s return gaining prominence. The comments section of a ‘Legion Hoops’ post was filled with mixed reactions, with negative stances easily catching the viewer’s eye. From comments like “He already had a lot of failed opportunities so best bet would be to go overseas”, to “Wrap it up”, not everyone was that enthusiastic to know of the point guard’s return. Despite their objections, however, Thomas is coming back. From the G-League, he may look to create some stepping stones to an eventual main league return.

Isaiah Thomas’s last NBA spell wasn’t too memorable. He played only 6 games for the Phoenix Suns and averaged 1.3 points and 0.5 assists with an average playtime of just 3.2 minutes. This was the same player who, during the 2016-17 season, averaged 28.9 points and 5.9 assists. Unfortunately, complications from his hip injury caused his career to decline. Thomas had better luck when playing for the Salt Lake City Stars in 2024. He participated in four games and averaged 32.5 points by shooting 44.6 percent from beyond the arc. Whether he will have better luck this time around too is something that remains to be seen.

Isaiah Thomas would have needed some strong inspiration to return to the NBA after a string of declining performances. Some may attribute this to the passing of Thomas’s elder sister LaQuisha. This tragic incident came only 6 years after the player’s young sister had died in a car crash. However, Thomas himself may have answered his ‘drive’ reason about a year ago.

Isaiah Thomas names his kids as his inspiration to continue playing: “If I give up….”

After making 32 points during his G-League return in March 2024, Isaiah Thomas was asked the reason behind his focus. Without thinking for too long, the player replied, “My kids. At their age, it’s like If I give up, at some point in their life they are going to hit adversity and maybe tap out and give up. They are 12 and 13 and I got a daughter that is 5 and she doesn’t really know what is going on. Them boys have seen me at the highest level, and they see me at the lowest, where I couldn’t get out of bed and was hurt. So, the biggest reason is them.”

His children were someone who Thomas even turned to for advice. He revealed “I asked them, ‘should I go to the G-League?’ when they came a-calling. Them two boys were like, ‘You better go. You better go. Like, we want to come see you play too.’ That’s the reason why I keep going and then the overall love of it.”

Isaiah Thomas’s two sons: Jaden and James, have often come up in their father’s social media updates. This continues to give fans a glimpse of just how much the boys are going. However, Thomas’s remarks indicated just how much they had matured mentally too. When they have given the green light, Thomas does not need the advice of any haters to dissuade him.