When last seen on an NBA team, PG Isaiah Thomas suited up for the New Orleans Pelicans on a 10-day contract. Thomas played in just three games, scoring 23 points in 48 total minutes.
This is a far cry from the version of Thomas the world fell in love with just a few years earlier in Boston. In Thomas’ last complete season (2016-17) with the Celtics, he averaged nearly 29 points per game. In less than three years with the team, Thomas became a fan favorite as the smallest player on the court. Boston loved Thomas, and he loved the city and its fans back.
During the 2016-17 season, Thomas was blazing through the regular season, piling up points and setting himself up for a hefty payday in the future. Thomas played out of his mind for the Celtics that postseason, leading the franchise to its first Eastern Conference Finals since 2012. This dream ride quickly ended after Thomas was ruled out for the series with a severe hip injury following the first two games.
Since that injury, it’s been a constant rollercoaster ride for Thomas’ career struggling to stay on with any team past one season. The huge payday Thomas had talked about and hoped for never materialized. Instead, the former All-Star has bounced around to five different teams since returning from the hip injury.
Now the 32-year-old guard just wants one last shot at living out his NBA dream. Nobody wants to go out on anything but their terms. Thomas is no different and is still playing, still fighting to make his way back onto an NBA roster.
With fellow former NBA players Jamal Crawford and Nate (KO) Robinson in attendance at a Crawsover Pro-Am game in Seattle, Thomas had the crowd lit in reaction to his 81-point explosion. Thomas showed attendees, general managers, and the whole world that he can still get buckets. Not only did Thomas drop 81, but he also did it while rocking a pair of Kobe Bryant’s signature shoes.
After the game, Thomas was seen in quite an emotional state.
I’m not sure what this performance will do for his potential return to the association, but it is good to see him on the court and more than active looking like he still has a lot left in the tank. He’ll still have to prove against NBA caliber talent if he’s going to play for a team next season, though. The 10-day contract he was just on with the Pelicans didn’t exactly work out in his favor. At age 32, being a small guard, his days were already numbered in the league, so it’s going to take that one GM who sees something left in Thomas to give him one last shot.
While it isn’t likely we ever see Thomas lighting it up in the NBA again, miracles do happen sometimes. At this point, that miracle may be the only thing that gets him back on a roster anytime soon.