Isaiah Thomas has ‘real love’ for the Boston Celtics. The 2017 trade that brought Kyrie Irving to the team was crucial for many reasons. One was the promise of a championship, and another was Thomas’ departure. During his one-and-a-half years with the franchise, Thomas gained traction as his performance for the C’s received plaudits. Many might be well aware of the famous ‘Isaiah time’ that the 2x NBA All-Star created during the 2016-17 season. 

The NBA veteran led the Celtics to gain a 117-114 win over the Miami Heat as he delivered 29 points in the fourth quarter. Thomas was just 2 points away from breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s 31-point record. However, he made history in the Celtics by breaking Larry Bird and Todd Day’s 24-point record in the fourth quarter. This is how Thomas became the ‘King in the Fourth.’ Recently, he played for the Phoenix Suns in 2024. Here is a glimpse at the 2x NBA All-Star’s career so far. 

How did it all begin for Isaiah Thomas?

Apart from the Boston Celtics, Thomas played for 7 more teams. He had an impressive rookie season with the Sacramento Kings being named the Western Conference NBA Rookie of the Month. In his three seasons with the Kings, Thomas appeared in 216 games and averaged 15.3 points and 2.5 rebounds. 

His next destination was the Suns. The 35-year-old played only one season with the Phoenix Suns and played for 52 games averaging 21.3 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.5 defensive rebounds.

2015 was a great year for Thomas. After dishing out 27 points to lead the Suns to win against the Portland Trail Blazers in January, Thomas was traded to the Celtics in February of that year. And this is where the veteran began to show his true potential. 

Isaiah Thomas in the Boston Celtics

Thomas was the fans’ favorite in the Celtics. Even when the player was struggling with his injuries during his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Celtics fans gave him a standing ovation. What endeared him to the fans most was his dedication to the team. Despite being devastated and heartbroken by the tragic passing of his 22-year-old sister Chyna in 2017, Thomas showed up for the team on the court the following day and delivered 33 points. He was named the NBA All-Star in 2016 and 2017.

Thomas averaged a good 27.6 points and 2.5 defensive rebounds across the 179 games, he played for the Celtics. This is where the 35-year-old gained the most love and attention. After the Celtics won the championship in 2023-24, he wrote “Real love for the city of Boston! Dope to see that shit happen frfr” on X. 

However, the trade involving Irving occurred during Thomas’ time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he struggled with a hip injury that reduced his strength and speed. He averaged 19.6 points on 36.1% shooting. After his departure from the Cleveland Cavaliers, a similar pattern followed with Thomas moving from the Lakers to the Denver Nuggets, subsequently to the Washington Wizards, and finally to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Isaiah Thomas’ hip injury

During his time with the Lakers, the veteran underwent hip surgery. He had been avoiding surgery to avoid being ruled out for the entire season. Ultimately, it happened in 2018 and he played only 21 games with the Lakers averaging 19.5 points, 5.9 assists, and 2.1 rebounds.

Thomas’ time with the Nuggets was quite brief. After his recovery from his hip surgery, the 2x NBA All-Star finally made a comeback in 2019. However, his hip injury took away half of the energy he had. He averaged 19.3 points and 1.6  rebounds across the 12 games he played for the Nuggets. He also played for the Charlotte Hornets and Dallas Mavericks. Following this, he joined the New Orleans Pelicans on a 10-day contract and ended with an average of 7.7 ppg. 

While he did not get a good enough opportunity to make a comeback, Thomas went to play for the NBA G League. In an article by Deseret, Thomas shared, “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.”

In hopes of finding another opportunity, Thomas wrote on X., “Only need 1 team, one chance! Impact winning no matter what. Professional as they come AND got REAL DEAL HOOP GAME if the opportunity is there!!!! Stay the course.”

After suffering a major hip injury and recovery, he couldn’t play in the league for 2 years. But Thomas still has it in him. And finally, in 2024, he got the chance. On March 20, the veteran inked a 10-day deal with the Phoenix Suns. After a second 10-day deal with the team, Thomas is a free agent and is looking for an opportunity.

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