Isaiah Thomas has been overcoming long odds throughout his NBA career, so he’s not going to let his age and injury history spoil his hopes of another comeback, writes Dylan Ackerman of Cronkite News. The 35-year-old guard, who participated in workouts with the Kings last month, talked about what motivates him to keep going during a recent appearance with some other NBA stars at the ZekeEnd Tournament in Tacoma, Washington.
“I just enjoy the process, but I know what I’m fighting against,” Thomas said. “I understand it, but I’ve had that same fight my whole life. This is just normal to me. It’s just another stage I have to get by. I really want to just play two or three more years and then focus on my kids. That’s the ultimate goal and we’re just going to keep fighting until the end.”
Thomas has already put together a remarkable career for a 5’9″ guard who wasn’t selected until the final pick of the 2011 draft. After three years in Sacramento and half a season in Phoenix, Thomas found stardom after being traded to the Celtics in 2015. He made his first All-Star appearance during the 2015/16 season, averaging 22.2 points and 6.2 assists per game. He was even better the following year, earning second-team All-NBA honors and finishing fifth in the MVP voting while putting up 28.9 points and 5.9 assists per night.
However, a hip injury in that year’s playoffs caused his career to spiral as quickly as it ascended. He was sent to Cleveland during the offseason as part of a Kyrie Irving trade, but only appeared in 15 games before being shipped to the Lakers at the trade deadline.
Thomas has spent time with eight teams since the injury, but has only reached 40 games with one of them. That happened with Washington in 2019/20, which Ackerman notes is the last time Thomas has been able to land a contract before the start of a season.
Thomas earned two 10-day deals with the Suns last season and signed a standard contract in April that made him eligible for the playoffs. However, he only appeared in six games with Phoenix and made one brief postseason appearance.
“Basketball has been my life,” Thomas said. “I’ve focused on one thing my whole life. Most don’t really focus on one single thing that long. I’ve loved the game of basketball, and it’s done wonders for my life. I’ve been across the world, I made tons of money around basketball. I just love it. I love everything about the game. I love the process. I love the good, the bad. I’m still at an age where I can still play at a high level. I always say that I have the same feeling going to the gym now that I did when I was a kid. I know when that goes away, it’s time to just try to find something else.”
It’s not clear if Thomas made a strong impression on the Kings during his workouts or if the team ever considered signing him. Sacramento has one spot open on its training camp roster and just 12 players with fully guaranteed contracts. Thomas also worked out for Milwaukee in July, but the Bucks have a full roster and there’s never been any indication that they made him an offer.
Regardless of whether he winds up in somebody’s training camp, Thomas is determined to keep pursuing his NBA dream.
“I believe in myself more than anybody would,” he said. “I just feel like why not keep going and why not show the world what perseverance looks like, what fighting through adversity looks like. Then being able to do it with a smile on your face.”