Thomas comes from the deepest valley. The comeback sensation of the forgotten superstar
By Seb Dumitru March 21, 2024, 9:27 p.m
Isaiah Thomas is back in the NBA. After years of odyssey and countless comeback attempts, the Phoenix Suns have signed the former All-Star. No matter how long “IT” can stay in the league: its story deserves the deepest respect and recognition.
The news broke out of nowhere on the live ticker, this time in the form of a tweet from insider Shams Charania: Isaiah Thomas is signing a 10-day contract with the Phoenix Suns. Almost two years after his last game in the NBA, and a full seven years after his last full, impactful season, one of the Basketball Association’s all-time favorites is back in the best league in the world.
How long he can stay there this time is less relevant than the fact that after years of running the gauntlet, countless comeback attempts and detours via the G-League (and the amateur Drew League), he has finally managed to get back in touch. A serious hip injury once derailed him in the middle of his heyday. And even though he had the door slammed in his face again and again for years afterwards, “IT” never let up and continued to work like a man possessed, with only one goal in mind: to somehow, at some point, fight his way back.
From nobody to superstar…
His story is the stuff that professional dreams are made of. It sounds cliché, but even the most absurd stories have an origin somewhere. In 2011, he was drafted 60th and last by the Sacramento Kings. He quickly played his way into the spotlight and made it onto the All-Rookie Second Team. In year three he was already scoring 20 points a night and the fans in Sacramento loved him. In the 2014/15 season he went via Phoenix to Boston, where he made his breakthrough into stardom. With the Celtics, the left-hander, who is just over 1.70 meters tall, became an elite scorer and feared crunch time performer. “King in the Fourth” was his nickname; in the final quarter, this basketball dwarf put fear into opposing giants.
He led the Celtics back to relevance and into the Eastern Conference Finals and developed into a two-time All-Star in “Beantown” (2016, 2017). In the 2016/17 season he came fifth in the MVP vote after averaging a bombastic 28.9 points. The people of Boston adored him, not only because of his “ordinary stature” and approachability in the community, but above all because of his heart, his fearlessness on the floor and his inspiring way of overcoming difficulties. When his sister died in a car accident, he scored 33 points in a playoff game that same night. Two days later, he posted the Celtics’ second-highest playoff performance of all time with 53 points. In game seven of that series, Thomas powered his team into the Conference Finals – for the first time in five years. Shortly afterwards he was sidelined with a hip injury and Boston narrowly failed to reach the NBA Finals. The beginning of the temporary end.
… and back to Nobody
The Celtics showed themselves to be heartless in business and sent Thomas to Cleveland to the Cavaliers in the summer of 2017. Little by little, the severity of his hip injury (arthritis, degenerating cartilage), which he had been carrying around for years, became apparent. Instead of undergoing surgery, Thomas opted for more traditional healing methods so as not to jeopardize his upcoming free agency. In retrospect, that was a mistake, because without a healthy core and his patented acceleration off the dribble, he lost all explosiveness and effectiveness. His performance and his statistical values plummeted, and Thomas would never again reach his well-known productivity.
The star, crowd favorite and franchise player became an NBA wandering bird almost overnight. Passed around from team to team, constantly looking for the one station that could become a sporting home. Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans, Lakers again, Dallas Mavericks, Charlotte Hornets – Thomas’ eight teams in five years impressively illustrated how difficult it can be for a tiny, badly damaged guard to survive To stay in the league once he has lost his most dangerous weapons (speed and self-confidence). He played his last NBA game on April 10, 2022, with 14 points in 13 minutes in the Hornets’ win against Washington in the final game of the season. Nobody wanted to give him a chance after that.
Never give up
Thomas remained stubborn and kept trying. He wasn’t even above a trip to the lower-class G-League. At the beginning of March 2024, he signed with the Salt Lake City Stars and excelled there with 32.5 points and 5.3 assists on average, shooting 45 percent from the three-point line. The Phoenix Suns made Thomas’ dream of a comeback come true and signed him to a 10-day contract. These are usually extended for at least another ten days and often result in a signing for the rest of the season – especially when it comes to veterans just before the start of the playoffs. “His story inspires basketball players around the world,” says megastar Kevin Durant.
“God is great,” Thomas tweeted in recent days. It is unclear whether and how much he will actually play with the Suns. But that’s only a secondary concern for him anyway. Phoenix could use both his shooting and his experience in the current state. No team scored fewer points off the bench than Phoenix, whose stars had to play more minutes than anyone would have liked. The weak phase in the last few weeks (Phoenix has lost seven of 13) has a lot to do with fatigue, but – many have the impression – there is also a little lack of fire. “Everyone here loves IT,” says Suns coach Frank Vogel. “He has the highest respect across the league. We’ll see where he is at this point in his career and how he fits into our core.”
For his teammates, Thomas’ presence and hunger could be inspiring and provide the boost they need heading into the final weeks of the regular season. It’s not just his former teammate Bradley Beal who knows this first hand: “It’s unusual for someone to come back at this point. But he’s a tough guy. He’ll help us with his basketball IQ and his leadership skills. I’m a huge Fan. We used to play against each other, he was my teammate in Washington. He will always be a true hooper. Nothing can stop this guy from his goals and dreams.”
Seen at the zenith and in the deepest valley
Thomas, who has experienced ups and downs in his career and earned more than $34 million, doesn’t really have anything left to prove. Neither yourself nor outsiders. His best days in the relentless NBA are long behind him. It would be easy to sit back and enjoy life at home. What drives him is the love of the game and a deep motivation that comes from somewhere deep inside. A fire that refuses to go out, fueled by the eternal fight of the underdog, despite all odds. And that alone is worth giving Thomas and his story the respect they deserve. “I just can never give up,” said the 35-year-old a few days ago. “My two boys saw me at my peak, and at my lowest ebb, when I couldn’t even crawl out of bed without pain. I’m doing this all for them. To show them that you can never give up…”
Isaiah Thomas played two minutes in his first game last night and handed out an assist. Phoenix won 115:102 against Philadelphia.
2024-03-21 21:14:18
#Thomas #deepest #valley #comeback #sensation #forgotten #superstar
