Background and career
Isaiah Jamar Thomas (born February 7, 1989) is an American former professional basketball player who is working as a scout for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is best known for playing with the Celtics from 2015 through 2017, where he was a two-time NBA All-Star and named second-team All-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 selection in the Pac-10. After electing to forgo his senior year of college, Thomas was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the final pick in the 2011 NBA draft. He spent three seasons with the Kings before joining the Phoenix Suns in 2014. Thomas was traded to Boston in February 2015. In the 2016–17 season, he led the Celtics to the first seed of the Eastern Conference, had the third-highest points-per-game average in the league, and finished fifth in MVP voting. After injuring his right hip during the 2016–17 season, Thomas was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in August 2017. Over the next several seasons, his hip injury significantly hampered his play. Thomas went on to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, Charlotte Hornets, and Suns again, along with several stints in the NBA G League.
Isaiah Thomas was born on February 7, 1989 to James Thomas and Tina Baldtrip. A lifelong Los Angeles Lakers fan, James Thomas made a bet with a friend that if his beloved team did not defeat the Detroit Pistons in the 1989 NBA Finals, he would name his son after Pistons star and decorated Lakers nemesis Isiah Thomas. Thomas was born months before the finals took place but his father had warmed to the name and his mother consented on the condition that the Biblical spelling of Isaiah was utilized. Thomas was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington. As a child, he had the nicknames "Bighead" (or Head) from his father and "Zeke" (which was Isiah Thomas's nickname) from his mother.
Thomas attended Curtis Senior High School in University Place, Washington, through 11th grade. As his grades had to improve to earn a scholarship, Thomas repeated his senior year across the country at South Kent School in South Kent, Connecticut. Thomas graduated from the Connecticut prep school in 2008. At Curtis High, playing for the varsity basketball team, Thomas had averaged 31.2 points per game as a junior. On April 20, 2006, he called a news briefing to announce his intention to sign with the University of Washington.
Thomas received the blessing of Nate Robinson, the former Washington Huskies star, to wear his No. 2 jersey. Thomas scored a season-high 27 points in an 81–67 home victory over Morgan State on December 30, 2008. Thomas averaged 15.5 points, 2.6 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game as a true freshman. He was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and second-team All-Pac-10. As a sophomore, Thomas' averages rose to 16.9 points, 3.2 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game. He was named first-team All-Pac-10. Thomas was again named first-team All-Pac-10 in his junior year. On March 12, 2011, Thomas scored 28 points and hit a game-winning buzzer beater in overtime to lead the Huskies to victory over Arizona in the championship game of the Pac-10 tournament. He was among the final ten candidates for the Bob Cousy Award in his junior season. A few weeks later on March 31, Thomas declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final year of college eligibility.
Before the 2011 NBA draft, Thomas participated in his own pre-draft documentary entitled "Road to the NBA–The Isaiah Thomas Story". Thomas was selected in the second round of the 2011 NBA draft with the 60th and final pick by the Sacramento Kings. On February 19, 2012, he recorded his first double-double with 23 points and 11 assists against the Cleveland Cavaliers. On March 1, 2012, Thomas was named the Western Conference NBA Rookie of the Month after averaging 12.2 points and 4.4 assists per contest in February. No player before had gone on to win Rookie of the Month honors after being picked last in the NBA draft. On April 2, 2012, Thomas was once again named Western Conference NBA Rookie of the Month after posting averages of 13.6 points and 4.9 assists per contest in March. Thomas was also named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team and finished seventh in NBA Rookie of the Year voting. On January 19, 2014, Thomas scored a then-career-high of 38 points during a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Five days later, he tied this same total in points against the Indiana Pacers. On March 18, 2014, Thomas recorded his first career triple-double with 24 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds in a 117–111 overtime victory over the Washington Wizards; in doing so, Thomas became the shortest player to ever record a triple-double in the NBA. During the 2013–14 season, Thomas joined Calvin Murphy (twice), Dana Barros, Damon Stoudamire, and Michael Adams as the only players under 6 ft (1.8 m) tall to average over 20 points and six assists per game in a season. Thomas was immensely popular in his three seasons in Sacramento; his show of solidarity and frequent appearances at City Council meetings during the Kings' relocation saga, in particular, endeared him to many fans.
On July 12, 2014, Thomas signed with the Phoenix Suns on a four-year, $27 million contract in a sign-and-trade deal that also sent the rights of Alex Oriakhi to the Kings. On August 14, Thomas underwent a successful arthroscopy of his left wrist, for an injury sustained the previous season. Thomas made his debut for the Suns in their victorious 119–99 season opener over the Los Angeles Lakers, in which he recorded 23 points. After missing eight games with an ankle injury, Thomas returned to action on December 12, 2014, scoring 10 points in the Suns' 105–103 loss to the Detroit Pistons. On January 21, 2015, he recorded a season-high 27 points off the bench in a 118–113 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. On February 5, Thomas was announced as a contestant for the NBA Skills Challenge, making him the shortest contestant to ever participate in the event.
