On the MMA Hour hosted by Ariel Helwani, Isiah Thomas talked briefly about his namesake, Isaiah Thomas. The elder Thomas said he recently talked to the younger one, who was the centerpiece of a Celtics trade for Kyrie Irving, and that the new Cavaliers point guard was really suffering emotionally from the deal.
Isiah Thomas on Isaiah Thomas: ‘It’s going to be difficult for him to trust again’
The older Thomas says that the new Cavaliers point guard was blindsided by the Celtics trade and hurt emotionally by it.
Here is the video, with a transcript below:
I spoke to Isaiah yesterday. Emotionally, he’s hurt. Emotionally, he’s wounded. Now from a basketball standard, he and Kyrie Irving, this will be great for them; they both will do well. But you know, it really was like a punch in the gut because it came out of nowhere. Kyrie was expecting the trade, he was prepared for it. But talking to Isaiah the other night, now he’s scrambling to find out where his kids are going to go to school, trying to find a place to live, and it was just so unexpected for him. And the thing the really just kind of pulled at my heartstrings was, you know, he gave his heart and soul to the Celtics; he gave them everything.
It’s a business and we all understand it’s a business, but to have it happen in such a way for him, I think it really hurt him. And I think it’s going to be difficult for him to trust again, to give that trust, that loyalty, that love to another organization. And I think the Cavaliers are definitely going to have to do some relationship mending to get him back to the point where he loves being where he’s at. He’s a small guy. The thing that gets him over is his love and his passion. If those things are kind of missing a little bit, it’s going to be hard. So Cleveland has some relationship things that they’ve got to do to build that trust.
Isiah’s comments are insightful but not completely surprising, given what we know about Isaiah Thomas. It was a trade that came out of nowhere, and it came in a situation where you felt like Thomas really couldn’t have done anything more for the Celtics during his two-and-a-half seasons there. He truly did give his heart and soul to that team — something that manifested itself in the way he played, the times he fought through injuries, and even when he suited up for a playoff game just a day after his sister tragically passed away.
Much of this relates back to a conversation we’ve been having all week about loyalty and how it reflects differently on players than teams. Fans will demand free agents re-sign with their teams, citing loyalty and commitment. But hold no such standards for front offices that trade away even the most beloved players. Even former NBA players are seeing and calling out the double standard.
Thomas will likely get over it, but you best circle the date Oct. 17. The season’s opening game is Cleveland vs. Boston, and you can bet Thomas cannot wait for that one.
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