Isaiah Thomas

At 35 years old, Isaiah Thomas has this physical status:

Isaiah Jamar Thomas (born February 7, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association. (NBA)

The 5-foot-9-inch (1.75 m) point guard played three years of college basketball for the Washington Huskies and was a three-time all-conference pick in the Pac-10.

Thomas was the final pick in the 2011 NBA draft after opting to forego his senior year of college.

He spent three seasons with the Kings before joining the Phoenix Suns in 2014.

In February 2015, Thomas was traded to the Boston Celtics.

He was named an NBA All-Star in both 2016 and 2017 and was given All-NBA Team honors for the 2016-17 season, when the Celtics defeated the Celtics in the Eastern Conference's top seed.

He was signed to the Cleveland Cavaliers in August 2017 before being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers at midseason.

Thomas joined the Denver Nuggets in July 2018.

In July 2019, he signed with the Washington Wizards.

Early life

Isaiah Thomas was born to James Thomas and Tina Baldtrip after former Detroit Pistons Hall of Fame guard Isiah Thomas was named after him. James, a lifelong Lakers fan, bet with a friend that his beloved team would beat the Pistons in the 1989 Finals ornament his son after decorated Lakers nemesis Isiah Thomas. The Pistons won in a four-game sweep, but James had already warmed to the name long before that. On the condition that it had the Biblical spelling, his mother accepted it. He was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington. After Isiah Thomas' nickname, he had the nicknames "Bighead" (or Head) from his father and "Zeke" from his mother.

Personal life

Chyna Thomas' sister was killed in a one-car accident on Interstate 5 in Federal Way, Washington, on April 15, 2017.

Thomas and his partner Kayla have two sons and one daughter together.

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High school career

Thomas was a student at University Place, Washington, from the 11th grade to the Curtis Senior High School. He retook his senior year at South Kent School in South Kent, Connecticut, as his grades needed to rise to earn a scholarship. In 2008, he graduated from the Connecticut prep school. Thomas, who was a freshman at Curtis High, had an average of 31.2 points per game. On April 20, 2006, he announced his intention to enroll at the University of Washington in a news briefing.

College career

Thomas wore his No. 9 with the blessing of Nate Robinson, the former Washington Huskies quarterback, to wear his No. 66. 2 jerseys are available. Thomas scored 27 points on 9-of-12 field goals in an exhibition game against Western Washington. In an 81–67 home win over Morgan State on December 30, 2008, he scored a season-high 27 points. In a 74-51 victory over Florida International on November 20, he surpassed his previous record of 19 points scored in a 74–51 victory over Florida International.

As a true freshman, Thomas averaged 15.5 points, 2.6 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game. He was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year. His averages as a sophomore soared to 16.9 points, 3.2 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game. He was selected first team All-Pac-10.

In his junior year, Thomas was named first team All-Pac-10. Thomas led the Huskies to victory over Arizona in the Pac-10 tournament's championship game on March 12, 2011, scoring 28 points and hitting a game-winning buzzer beater in overtime. In his junior year, he was one of the top ten candidates for the Bob Cousy Award.

Thomas announced for the NBA draft on March 31, 2011, forgoing his final year of college eligibility.

Professional career

Thomas appeared in his own pre-draft documentary entitled "Road to the NBA—The Isaiah Thomas Story" before the 2011 NBA draft. Thomas was selected in the second round of the 2011 NBA draft, with the Sacramento Kings' 60th and final pick. Thomas had his first double-double against the Cleveland Cavaliers on February 19, 2012, scoring 23 points and 11 assists.

Thomas was named the February Western Conference Rookie of the Month on March 1, 2012, after scoring 12.2 points and 4.4 assists per contest in February. Since being picked last in the NBA draft, no player before had gone on to win Rookie of the Month awards. Thomas was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for the second month on April 2, 2012, after posting averages of 13.6 points and 4.9 assists per contest in March. Thomas was also selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team and placed seventh in NBA Rookie of the Year polls.

During a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on January 19, 2014, Thomas scored a then-career high of 38 points. He tied the Indiana Pacers for the same number five days ago. In a 117–111 overtime victory over the Washington Wizards on March 18, 2014, he recorded his first career triple-double with 24 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds, earning him the distinction of being the NBA's oldest player to ever record a triple-double. Thomas continued to play Calvin Murphy (twice), Dana Barros, Damon Stoudamire, and Michael Adams as the only players under 6 foot (1.8 m) tall to average over 20 points and six assists per game in a season.

During the Kings' relocation saga, Thomas was extremely popular in his three years in Sacramento; his show of brotherhood and regular appearances at City Council meetings during the Kings' relocation saga, in particular, endeared him to many fans.

Thomas was signed by the Phoenix Suns on July 12, 2014, granting Alex Oriakhi's rights to the Kings as well. Thomas underwent a successful arthroscopy of his left wrist, despite the previous season's injuries. In the Suns' triumphant 119–99 season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers, he made his debut for the Suns. He had 23 points, 3 assists, and 1 rebound in his first season with the Suns. Thomas scored 23 points in the Suns' 94-89 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, joining Tom Chambers, A.C. Green, and Tom Gugliotta as the fourth Suns to score at least 23 points in their first two games with the team.

Thomas returned to action on December 12 after missing eight games due to an ankle injury. In a 118–113 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on January 21, 2015, he scored a season-high 27 points off the bench. Thomas was announced as a contestant for the NBA Skills Challenge on February 5, making him the youngest contestant to ever participate in the event.

Thomas was traded to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Marcus Thornton and a 2016 first-round pick. In a 118–111 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, he made his Celtic debut three days later, scoring 21 points off the bench. He was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, February 23, to Sunday, March 1. He then missed eight games in March with a bruised lower back. In a 113-103 victory over the Detroit Pistons on April 8, 2015, he scored a season-high 34 points. He received Eastern Conference Player of the Week awards for games played Monday, April 6, to Sunday, April 12. Thomas scored 22 points and 10 assists in his first-round Game 1 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 19, his first career playoff appearance. In a four-game sweep, the Celtics lost by a single point and 7.0 assists over the series. Thomas placed second in the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award voting with 324 points, including 33 first-place votes. As a result of his sixth-man appearances with both Phoenix and Boston in 2014–15, he came in second place.

Thomas reached his then-career high of 38 points in a 119-116 loss to the Detroit Pistons on December 16, 2015. He was named an Eastern Conference All-Star reserve for the 2016 NBA All-Star Game on January 28, 2016. In 1989, Thomas was the lowest draft pick to be named an All-Star after the NBA draft was reduced to two rounds. He also surpassed Calvin Murphy as the youngest player to be selected for the All-Star Game, becoming the ninth player under 6 foot (1.8 m) to be named an All-Star. On February 8, 2016, he was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, February 1, to Sunday, February 7. Thomas led the Celtics to a 4–0 week, with a road victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference as a result of their Eastern Conference-leading score (1st in the East), 7.0 assists (tied for fourth in the league), and 4.5 rebounds. Thomas helped the Celtics beat the Atlanta Hawks by 2–0 in the first round of the 2016 playoffs, scoring a then-career high 42 points in Game 3 in Boston, propelling the Celtics to a 111–103 victory. He was only the ninth Celtic to score 40 points in a playoff game. Thomas, with 28 points in Game 4, helped the Celtics tie the game to a halt in two games, with a 104-95 overtime victory. However, the Celtics went on to lose the series 4–2.

Thomas scored 20 points or more in every game but one during the 2016-17 season. Thomas came back from a four-game absence in early December with a groin strain, putting up big numbers. In a 112–109 overtime victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on December 20, he scored a then-career high 44 points, including 36 after halftime. Going 7-of-10 from outside the arc, he tied his career high for three-pointers. He went on to win Eastern Conference Player of the Week awards for games played Monday, December 19 to Sunday, December 25. He scored 29 of his career-high 52 points in the fourth quarter on December 30 against Miami, a franchise record for points in a stretch and leading Boston to a 117-114 victory over the Heat. Thomas scored six of his nine three-pointers in the fourth quarter, beating Larry Bird's record of 24 points in a quarter that was not matched by Todd Day in 1995. Thomas' 52 points was the fourth-highest scoring total in Celtics history—Bird holds the record with 60 points in March 1985.

In a 115-104 victory over the Utah Jazz on January 3, 2017, Thomas scored 29 points and a career-high 15 assists. In a 127–123 overtime loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on January 21, he had a 41-point effort, his 14th 30-plus point game of the season. He was named an Eastern Conference All-Star reserve for the 2017 NBA All-Star Game on January 26. Thomas averaged 32.9 points in January, marking the third-highest monthly average in team history, with Paul Pierce hitting 33.5 in February 2006 and Larry Bird averaged 33.1 points in February 1988. On February 2, he was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for January. When the Celtics went 10–4 to claim first place in the Atlantic Division, he led the NBA in scoring (32.9 ppg) and tied for fifth in assists (6.9 apg) for the month. In a 116-108 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, he scored 33 points on February 15, 33 points. It was his 40th straight 20-point game, tied for the team's record set by John Havlicek during the 1971–72 season. He had 29 points in his 104-103 loss to the Chicago Bulls on the following day, going 8 for 18 from the field in his 41st straight game with at least 20 points, breaking Havlicek's team record. Thomas's franchise-record streak of consecutive 20-point games ended at 43 points against the Atlanta Hawks on February 27, 19 points against 19 points. It was only the second time he did not score at least 20 points in a game this season. Thomas made his 200th three-point shot of the season on March 12, his third Celtics player all-time, along with Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce. Thomas was the sixth Celtic to score 2,000 points in a single season on March 29, scoring 32 points against the Milwaukee Bucks. He also extended his streak with at least one three points to a franchise-best 50 games in a row.

Thomas led the Celtics to a first-round victory over the Chicago Bulls after discovering the day before that his younger sister, Chyna Thomas, died in a car accident outside of his hometown Tacoma, Washington. He travelled around the country to attend her funeral after the Celtics beat the Bulls 4–2. In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals, he returned to Boston and had 33 points and nine assists in the Celtics' victory over the Washington Wizards 123–111. Thomas scored 53 points, the second highest number in Celtics playoff history, to help Boston beat 129-119 in overtime and take the series's 2nd lead. He was only the fifth Celtic player to score 50 or more points in a postseason game, beating John Havlicek's team record by a single point. Thomas scored 29 points and 12 assists in Game 7 against Washington to help the Celtics reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2012, with a 115-105 win and a 4–3 series victory. Thomas was suspended from the remainder of the postseason after the Celtics lost their first two games of the Conference Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante ii, and the Brooklyn Nets' unprotected 2018 first-round draft pick were traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Kyrie Irving on August 22, 2017. However, questions regarding Thomas's previously injured hip were raised during a post-trade physical examination by Cleveland workers. The Celtics have agreed to give the Cavaliers a second-round draft pick via the Miami Heat to complete the trade eight days after it was announced. Thomas had been suffering from a variety of other conditions in his hip, including cartilage loss and arthritis, for several seasons, according to later. Thomas is expected to play by the end of the season, according to the Cavaliers on September 25, 2017. Thomas scrimmaged with the Canton Charge of the NBA G League on December 21, 2017, dressing for the first time since joining the Cavaliers but not against the Chicago Bulls. Thomas scored 17 points off the bench in a 127–110 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on January 2, 2018. Thomas returned to TD Garden a day later. Despite that Thomas did not participate in the Cavaliers' 102-88 loss to the Celtics, he received a standing ovation from the Celtics. In his second appearance and first game of the season, he had 19 points and four assists in a 131-127 victory over the Orlando Magic on January 6. In a 148-124 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on January 20, he scored a season-high 24 points.

The Cavaliers traded Thomas, Channing Frye and a first-round draft pick for the Los Angeles Lakers on February 8, 2018. Thomas had 22 points off the bench in his Lakers debut two days earlier in a 130-123 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. In a 131-113 victory over the Miami Heat on March 1, he scored a season-high 29 points. After undergoing arthroscopic surgery to his right hip, he was out for the remainder of the season.

Thomas signed a one-year contract with the Denver Nuggets on July 16, 2018. In the third quarter of Denver's 120–118 victory over the Sacramento Kings, he made his Nuggets debut on February 13, 2019, scoring all eight of his points. It was his first game since being with the Lakers on March 22, 2018.

Thomas signed with the Washington Wizards on July 10, 2019. Thomas was suspended for two games without compensation for entering the stands during a game on December 22, 2011.

Thomas was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers as a trade deadline purchase on February 6, 2020. He was released a day later.

Thomas signed a 10-day deal with the New Orleans Pelicans on April 3, 2021. He averaged 7.7 points in three games.

Thomas joined the Grand Rapids Gold of the NBA G League on December 13, 2021. During a 127-131 loss to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants on December 15, he made his team debut on December 15, scoring 42 points, eight assists, and six rebounds in 42 minutes.

Thomas signed a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Lakers on December 17, 2021, for the second time since the team was given a hardship waiver. In a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, he scored 19 points in 22 minutes in his season debut.

Thomas signed a 10-day contract with the Dallas Mavericks on December 29, 2021.

Thomas was re-acquitted by the Grand Rapids Gold on February 14, 2022.

Thomas began a 10-day deal with the Charlotte Hornets on March 3, 2022. He began his second 10-day service on March 12. Thomas was signed for the remainder of the season on March 22, which was scheduled to end.

National team career

Thomas was selected to the 35-player 2018–20 USA men's national team roster in April 2018 and attended the team's Las Vegas minicamp in July 2018. He was named on the 14-player roster for the final round of the 2022 FIBA AmeriCup qualifiers in February 2021. Thomas scored 19 points in a 93–77 victory over the Bahamas on February 19, his first competitive game in over a year. In a 96-75 victory over Mexico, he tied it up the day after scoring 9 points, all in the first quarter.

Thomas and Justin Anderson, along with Justin Anderson, made the USA men's basketball team for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup in November 2021. Both players were injury replacements for Frank Mason III and DaQuan Jeffries.

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