Isaiah Thomas’ career has vacillated between the highest of highs and the lowest of lows more than any NBA player in recent memory. From last pick in the draft, to budding star in Sacramento, to top-five MVP candidate in Boston, back down again to an injured, betrayed former star, and now to a non-rotation player on his third team in a year, Thomas has seen it all.
Was Isaiah Thomas’ emotional tribute video the start of a Celtics return?
The beefs are squashed, and now a return to Boston feels like an actual possibility.
Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Most of those highs came with the Boston Celtics, where he emerged as the 2017 season’s unsuspected superstar and clutch playoff performer. In Boston, IT became a fan favorite considering his 5’9 size and unwavering spirit to fight on, even after the sudden death of his sister.
That relationship fell after Thomas was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Kyrie Irving in the summer of 2017. This jump-started an IT vs. Celtics feud that persisted for more than a year. Thomas said in the months that followed that he might not talk to Celtics general manager Danny Ainge again, and he launched a Players Tribune series to talk about the heartache of getting dumped.
But two years after that deal, the sides have made amends. That was proven after IT got the tribute video from Boston that was put on hold last season.
IT was clearly emotional while watching the video that appeared during the first timeout of the game. He soaked in the moment and held back tears.
After the game, IT gave his thanks
Thomas tweeted “Damn that was special!!!!” to show his appreciation after the tribute video.
He also went on to compliment Brad Stevens as one of the best coaches he’d ever had, and showed love to the city of Boston in general.
Thomas: Everywhere I go in this city, especially when I was playing here, my family couldn’t even go to many places without being noticed, being asked for pictures and things like that. This city is one of a kind. I’ve said it since I’ve been here. All I did was go out there and give 100 percent each and every time out and they fell in love with that. The love is genuine and there’s nothing fake about it. Anywhere I go in this city, people seem to show real love and I just embrace it because these types of things can be taken away from you at any moment, so I don’t take anything for granted.
All seems to have finally been forgiven, as much as it can be. By the sound of the fan applause, Boston seems to still love him through it all, too.
IT also said Boston would already have a championship if they kept him
IT went for the bold quote, too, when asked if he’d thought of what might’ve been if he’d stayed in Boston. “We would’ve probably won a championship already,” he said.
Would the Celtics have beaten the Warriors with a healthy IT? Probably not. But responses like this are why he became a Boston favorite.
This totally ends up with IT in Boston again, right?
The Celtics have underachieved all season, with the team missing some unexplainable element despite what appears to be a deep, talented roster. With Irving committing and then not fully committing to staying in Boston past this season, fans are hesitant to fully embrace their new point guard, too. This team doesn’t evoke the same joy as the IT-led years.
Thomas would likely be available for cheap this summer, assuming Denver doesn’t want him back. For Boston, he’d be a brilliant locker room presence and another reason for Celtics fans to love their team again, assuming he’d want to play a backup role. He had interest last summer, calling Ainge during free agency.
“I know we left on bad terms with me being traded,” Thomas told the Boston Globe ahead of his tribute return. “I wanted them to know that the interest was there. I didn’t know if they were interested, and I wasn’t saying I wanted to come back and be the guy. I was just saying if the opportunity presents itself, just know I’m interested. That’s all it was.”
Thomas is not likely to return with the Nuggets next season, as he’s already fallen out of the team’s rotation. Will Ainge and the Celtics want to sign IT and bring this drama full circle? There’d certainly be reason if Boston falls flat in the playoffs like they have in the regular season.
“You never know,” Thomas told the Globe. “You can’t predict the future. My options are always open for anybody. I’m a Denver Nugget now, but I’m a free agent at the end of the season, and you never know what can happen. Who knows?”
How dominant was IT in Boston? Re-watch this Prada’s Pictures breakdown from 2017 to see.
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