How an NBA Star Nobody Wanted Destroyed Everyone

what if I told you that there was an NBA player nobody wanted but still ended up destroying everyone a player so overlooked that he was picked last in the draft eventually released by his first team and then even traded Away by his second team yes I'm talking about the legendary Isaiah Thomas a superstar who even at his Peak found himself wanted by no one but why and how did he still become one of the best players in the NBA despite this well to find out we have to go back to June 23rd 2011 Isaiah Thomas after winning two straight pack 10 championships at the University of Washington with his most recent ending with an incredible game winner from the undersized guard step [Applause] back has decided to enter his name into the 2011 NBA draft Thomas despite standing at just 5'9 with shoes on has received interest from teams as early as the late first round as well as the Los Angeles Lakers who hold four second round picks so how did he get here well the college standout had grown up in Tacoma Washington where he fell in love with basketball after his father took him to a Seattle SuperSonics versus Minnesota Timberwolves game in 1997 Isaiah who was just 7 years old at the time was lucky enough to be able to high five the NBA stars as they walked out onto the court and it was in that exact moment when the young it knew exactly what he wanted to to do as Thomas grew into a teenager he would begin to idolize another undersized lify Washington Native Damon Mighty Mouse stom during the offseason when Damon would return home he would often Mentor young Pacific Northwest prospects and upon hearing about another small left-handed point guard that was dominating stay knew he had to begin teaching him Damon would show it all the tricks he used to score a career-high 54 points and have a 13-year NBA career in spite of only standing at 5'10 tall but as the draft continued the now 22-year-old was so nervous that he couldn't even sit down and watch at his own party that was organized on Washington's campus in fact he would spend the majority of his time down on the court shooting around with his friends as the teams who said they were going to draft him didn't to make matters worse as the Lakers final second round pick was read out Thomas didn't hear his name Isaiah began to feel defeated the team who had promised to select him hadn't feeling unwanted it would head back to his home where his family was also watching the draft however as he opened the door he would hear Adam Sila say the 60th pick in the 2011 NBA draft the Sacramento King select Isaiah Thomas from the University of Washington While most would be upset with being picked dead last Thomas was a static with the 60th pick I just I told myself it makes the story that much better I mean it makes me work that much harder to show guys that I can compete and play at this level and I just want to tell kids that don't ever lay anybody ever tell you you can't do anything yet before he could even step foot into an NBA practice facility it was about to face some issues because the NBA had entered a lockout the owners of all 30 teams had failed to reach an agreement with the Players Association on new terms while current athletes face the fact that the season might be cancelled the 60th pick was coming to terms with the reality that he may not even get a contract in the first place as the summer league where Isaiah had plan to prove everyone wrong was cancelled however just before the deadline for a deal to be reached had arrived a new agreement was signed between the owners and the Players Association the season had been saved it would head to the Sacramento Kings training facility for training camp eager to prove himself as the 2011 2012 season prep operations continued Not only would Isaiah Thomas earn himself an actual NBA deal but coach Westfall was realizing there was more to his new point guard than his tiny stature December 26th 2011 opening night against Kobe Bryant and his Los Angeles Lakers it given that he was the last pick didn't expect to see the floor at all however in a Timeout Westfall would insert his small guard with one simple instruction you got Kobe so why would coach Westfall have a 5'9 guard defend a 6'6 shooting guard well in training camp Thomas was relentlessly attacked by bigger players near the room yet Isaiah would always hold his own it was so strong defensively that Paul had to make a rule that you weren't allowed to post him up because the king's offense was stagnating as the tiny guard completely stopped his larger opponents however Bryant a five-time NBA champion would simply raise up and shoot over his smaller opponent but Isaiah was happy Thomas being the last pick in the draft a player who stood at 5'8 without shoes on was on an NBA court playing against a player who thanks to his Anglewood native Lakers Super Fan father that the king's rookie idolized the simple fact he was touching Bryant's jersey while playing defense despite getting scored on b a smile to his face but coach westfal after the Kings got off to a poor start was fired and their assistant coach Keith smart was promoted to the top spot as the season progressed it was beginning to show flashes of his true potential on January 11th 2012 against the Toronto Raptors Isaiah would score 20 points 11 of which came in the fourth quarter therefore before a regular season game in mid-February against the Pistons coach smart would approach his benchu guard with a plan he comes to me in the morning before shoot around he's like I'm thinking about starring you but I'm going to tell you one thing he's like if you don't do your thing that's your ass and my ass I was like I was like say no more in Thomas's first opportunity as an NBA starter he ented the night having scored 14 points a decent enough performance for coach Keith the Keeper's job however what happened in their next game made him seem like a genius because against the Cleveland Cavaliers in a point guard battle between the first pick Kyrie Irving and the last pick Isaiah Thomas it would end the night with an insane TN 23 points 11 assists and at 5'9 an impressive 8 rebounds Isaiah who rounded out February averaging 20. 8 points per game would become the first and only 60th pick to win a rookie of the month award as the 2011 2012 lockout shorten year came to a close it had averaged 14. 8 points and 4.

1 assists clearly running with the opportunity the Kings had given him however Isaiah was about to run into some issues as the Sacramento Kings clearly didn't believe in his abilities to be their point guard of the future because Aaron Brooks a fifth-year guard was bought in but why would the Kings do this well coach smart didn't trust I's ability to be a pure point guard someone who could run the offense and distribute the ball to their scorers and when Thomas got off to a poor start only averaging 10. 8 points and 1. 9 assists in his first eight games Brooks was given his starting role yet having f faced adversity his whole life and being overlooked simply because of his height this was something Isaiah was used to so he eventually began to figure things out and less than a month after being benched in a regular season game against the Oklahoma City Thunder Thomas would prove coach smart wrong while he didn't see the floor much throughout this game he would end the night having scored 26 points and while this number is impressive the shocking part is 23 of them came in the fourth quarter it would earn her starting roll back later that month he would finish the 2012 2013 season with multiple breakout performances scoring 34 points against the Miami Heat hitting 7 threes against the Golden State Warriors and putting 30 on the Atlanta Hawks heads for an improved season average of 14 points however despite a great combination of who was becoming a legit NBA point guard and a generational Talent big man DeMarcus Cousins a player that it had a great relationship with on and off the Court Sacramento still struggled the Maloo family who owned the Kings had been in talks all season long about selling the franchise and it was initially reported that Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer was set to purchase the team and move them to Seattle in fact he had already planned to hire Phil Jackson as their president and Steve Kerr as their head coach but the 30 NBA owners vetoed this move and instead VC ran a DV would become their new owner new owner V despite his weird and wacky suggestions 4 on five what would fire coach smart and hire a 12-year veteran assistant coach Mike Malone Who had most recently worked with golden state to become their head coach for the 2013 2014 season coach Malone would immediately earn the respect of all his players and given his own Underdog mentality that he developed growing up in New York would form a great bond with his new point guard Malone would meet with Isaiah before the season and give him some simple advice go be yourself don't try to be someone you're not Mike didn't mess around with his point guard either Thomas was starting and that was that thanks to the new confidence coach Malone had instilled in him it would really begin to shine the hours and hours spent studying undersized guards like STM and alen Iverson really began to show Not only would he have five 30 or more point games but Thomas would become the shortest player ever to record a triple double against the Washington Wizards Isaiah would score 24 points throw 10 assists and somehow at 5'9 grab 11 rebounds over his giant teammates Isaiah Thomas who got his name after his father who believed that his Lakers would easily defeat the Detroit Pistons in the 1989 NBA Finals bet that if they did lose he would name his soon to be son after piston super superar point guard Isaiah Thomas however the real truth is that Isaiah's mother had fallen in love with the name but wanted it to be spelled the biblical way with an A on top of this Thomas was born on February 7th 1989 4 months too early for his father to have lost the bit anyway on top of his scoring attributes it was also showing he could be a valued member of any team as in another smart move by the Kings they had traded for Rudy Gay who many consider to be a top five small forward in the whole league playing alongside Demarcus one of the NBA's most Unstoppable bigs and a top five Ford Thomas would showcase his ability to be a catch and shoot threat someone that can provide spacing for his Superstar teammates but as the season came to a close Sacramento had failed to improve their horrible record finishing with a terrible 28- win 54 L season and Isaiah had some decisions to make because he was now a restricted free agent meaning while he was allowed to talk with other teams about playing for them whatever deal he reached the Kings could match however when he signed with the Phoenix Sons on a 4-year $27 million contract he was shocked that Sacramento given that they didn't match the offer he received from the sons no longer wanted him and were letting their former 60th pick walk Isaiah Thomas after proving everyone who didn't want him wrong was set to become a phoenix son but he was about to face some even more difficult challenges as for some reason the sons didn't just have one or two other point guards in truth they had four Eric blitzo who they had just signed to a large contract Goran draic a player who finished the 201314 season as a member of the all NBA third team meaning he was considered by the league as a top 15 player of course Isaiah Thomas and rookie Tyler Enis while it who was just happy to have a contract that meant he had at least four more years playing in the NBA was fine with coming off the bench his dominant play often meant that he was finishing games Thomas was averaging 16.

3 points in just 26 minutes a game and with the trade deadline fast approaching he had already amassed 15 nights scoring at least 20 points with Isaiah being the one head coach Jeff horac was choosing to utilize down the stretch both blitzo and dragic became increasingly frustrated Goran would Storm Into His General manager's office and demand a trade causing Phoenix not wanting to lose who was considered a top 15 player in the league to trade Isaiah Thomas to the Boston Celtics in order to free up minutes for Goran once again in the space of mere months another NBA Squad did not want the undersized guard Isaiah was devastated Phoenix was a perfect location for him growing up in Tacoma he was accustomed to cold and wet weather so the climate in Arizona was a welcome change for the Washington Native coupled with the fact that the suns were hitting for playoff success holding a 29 and 24 record the day he was traded Thomas was upset to be hitting to Boston a team who after winning the 2008 Championship much like the Kings had entered a rebounding stage however a certain someone that he was named after called him just after the move was announced you might not thinking now but this is going to be the best this the best you know situation for your career in his first game wearing a Celtic uniform against his Idol and the Lakers wearing his signature headband which Isaiah wor in honor of Jason Terry another Washington Native NBA player would drop in 21 points off the bench and a few games later against the Charlotte Hornets Thomas would add in 28 Boston's head coach Brad Stevens and his general manager Danny a had seemingly found their next bench bucket getter because on February 24th 2015 Thomas would finally have his chance to get revenge against his former team the EXs Sun's bench point guard would completely take over the game in the fourth quarter hitting a clutch and 1 three Thomas takes a three yeah a vital layup Thomas in the pain tries to spin it up and does and icing the game at the free throw line showcasing to his old Squad that perhaps they should have traded someone else but this wasn't all as on the 8th of April in one of their final regular season matchups against the Detroit Pistons in just 29 minutes of play Isaiah would score an incredible 34 points as well as throwing six assists due to his incredible play Off the Bench throughout the 2014 2015 season on both the Suns and the Celtics Isaiah would finish second in six man of the year voting while the award was given to Raptor's guard Lou Williams it was continuing to prove to everyone that doubted him that he was more than just the final selection in the 2011 draft and in fact was becoming one of the best point guards in the whole NBA Thomas would finish his 21 game campaign with Boston having won 14 games whilst only losing seven meaning the Celtics had finished with a 40 and 42 record good enough to earn them the seed in the Eastern Conference Isaiah was set to do something he initially thought wasn't going to be possible in Boston make his playoff debut April 19th 2015 Isaiah Thomas would step foot onto the quickens loone Arena floor in Cleveland and throughout game one it would prove he belonged as in 30 minutes of play Isaiah would round out his first postseason match having scored 22 points and throwing an impressive 10 assists as the series progressed the Celtic six-man would continue to shine in four games of play the former Phoenix Sun averaged 17. 5 points and seven assists yet LeBron James was Unstoppable nothing and I mean nothing the young Celtic team could have done would have ever been enough to slow James down as his Cavs barreled through Boston sweeping them out of title contention while Isaiah was devastated to have already been eliminated the small guard who no one seemed to want had arrived in Boston in incredible fashion and he was hungry to go further next year however to begin the 2015 2016 season Coach Stevens would approach the former last pick and inform him that the Celtics still wished to have him come off the bench disappointing Thomas but thanks to his teammates tow everything was about to change for it because three games into the fresh season Celtic starting point guard Marcus Smart would suffer a tow injury and Brad would give Isaiah the nod to replace smart but just until Marcus returned in his first game as a Boston Celtic starter the now 26-year-old would score an impressive 27 points alongside seven assists and two steals yet smart would return to the lineup three games later however Boston starting shooting guard Avery Bradley would suffer a small C strein therefore it retained her starting role by the time both smart and Bradley were healthy Isaiah had averaged 20 points six assists and 1. 4 steals in his five games as a starter and Coach Brad Stevens had a difficult decision to make before their next game against Oklahoma City 15th of November 2015 while the Celtic broadcast skipped the entire starting five announcement notice who was alongside Marcus Smart Isaiah Thomas had earned a full-time starting position with Coach Brad deciding to have Avery Bradley come off the bench in dead from this night against OKC the undersized guard would average an impressive 22.

4 points 6. 2 assists and 1. 1 steals numbers that consisted of 10 games with 30 or more points throughout the regular season however it doesn't end there Thomas would be named as an Allstar Not only was he the first 60th pick to receive this honor but he alongside Calvin merphy were tied for the shortest players in NBA history to be chosen for an All-Star game thanks to their new Point guard's dominance Boston had ended the season with a 48 and 34 record good enough for the fifth seed and earning them a first round matchup against the Atlanta Hawks but this time Isaiah had a new goal he wasn't satisfied with just making the postseason no he wanted to go all the way yet on the 19th of April 2016 it was Atlanta who held a two games to zero lead Boston star guard had struggled shooting a terrible 33% descent from the field and it was beginning to look like the Celtics would be hitting home but Isaiah would make one simple promise that he was going to figure it out game three Boston Garden fueled by their home crowd and hungry to prove to the world that he was more than just a short guard Thomas would score bucket after bucket each time the ball snapped through the net Celtic fans only grew louder as they watched their All-Star decimate Atlanta's defense on route to a new career high 42 points and most importantly the win two nights later after Atlanta Hawk Kent basemore hit this three the Celtics would find themselves in a seemingly impossible hole down 16 points yet Boston led by their last pick floor General would grind their way back taking the game one possession at a time and this mindset would pay off because as game four came to a close it was the Celtics inspired by a 28-point night from the point who had mounted an incredible comeback to take the victory in overtime now all Boston had to do was win a game on the road in Atlanta and the series would essentially be theirs however back home in Boston Garden for game six due to backto back horrific shooting Nights from the former Sacramento King it was the Hawks who would be moving on after defeating Boston four games to two Thomas was devastated Isaiah is this the toughest loss you've had to endure so far uh yes it very emotional for me just because we gave it all I mean we never put our head down and like I said this group of guys is is something special and and I I played I mean I gave it my all so that's why it hurts that much more I wish I could have done more vowing to never let this happen ever again over the offseason for the first time in his career Isaiah was comfortable there were no contract disputes or issues and if he dominated this season the way he did in 201516 then Thomas was going to be eligible for a $150 million Max contract extension therefore he would surround himself with greatness as he prepared for the 2016 2017 season it would spend hours in the gym with former 2001 NBA Most Valuable Player and fellow undersized guard Ellen if you are enjoying the video so far and you aren't subscribed please feel free to do so so that you never miss another upload thank you learning more and more about what it took to succeed at his size Thomas would also spend days locked in with his new Mentor Kobe Bryant who began to break the game down for Isaiah teaching him how to attack specific defenses and always being available to call however some serious issues would begin to arise in early December because as Thomas went to steal a pass from Houston Rocket Eric Gordon it would come down awkwardly on his leg resulting in what was thought to be a groin injury yet four games later against the Charlotte Hornets the 2016 Allstar returned to the lineup seemingly recovered from his injury and picking up exactly where he left off in their final regular season game of December the Celtics were set to face the Miami Heat but as the game progressed Boston could never solidify a lead their point guards 23 Point performance through the first three quarters wasn't enough and they hit it to quarter time with a mere four-point lead Isaiah would sit on the Celtics bench knowing full well that if he didn't step up his team would be losing this vital game therefore as the fourth quarter began it started to catch fire nothing any defense that Miami threw at the undersized guard could prevent him from finding the bottom of the net as he torched the heat defense for an insane 29.

4 quarter Thomas ended this night with a three-point Victory alongside a brand new Korea High 52 points it's the fourth highest scoring output of any Celtic in franchise history MVP chance broke out what does that mean to you blessing from God I mean you dream about things like that especially playing for the Celtics get MVP chance all the great players that did it before me it's it's a blessing I'm going just keep going and and and I can't say enough about my teammates and my coach for putting me in position to to do the things that I do yet I's incredible play wasn't over because his hot hand only continued throughout January a month where the former last pick would average a shocking 33 points per game Isaiah would set a Boston record 43 games in a row with at least 20 points and he was named once again to the All-Star team but on March 15th this incredible season began to unravel as after attacking in standard it fashion he would fall to the the ground only for KL Anthony towns a 7t 240 lb big man to trip and fall accidentally lodging his knee into Thomas's hip while the Boston guard would continue to play this game and the remainder of the Season something was clearly wrong however when the Celtics medical staff diagnosed him with just a bone bruise Thomas knowing how important the season was to not only Boston fans but his wallet decided to play through the discomfort in spite of being in mild pain the two-time allstar had incredibly at just 5'9 finished fifth in MVP voting alongside leading his Celtics to hold the number one seed in the Eastern Conference and they were set to face the Chicago Bulls in their first round matchup yet before game one began Isaiah's life would take a devastating turn tragic news affecting Boston Celtics star Isaiah Thomas his sister was killed in a one car accident early Saturday morning according to Washington State Police China Thomas died at the scene on Interstate 5 in Federal Way a city located between Thomas's hometown of Tacoma and Seattle she was 22 years old it was crushed but he knew that basketball was his one true escape so just a single day after this tragedy in his life occurred Thomas would put on his Boston uniform and suit up for game one against the Bulls Boston's Allstar would step out onto the floor of TD Garden to the Boston crowd screaming and Isaiah would repay his fan support with an incredible 33o performance however both games 1 and two saw the Celtics be defeated by the Chicago Bulls the horrific news hung over every member of Boston's roster and it knew he had to do something therefore as Isaiah and his team prepared for the must-win game three on the road their locker room was filled with laughter and music Thomas recognized that as a leader he had to appear to be his normal self for his Celtic Squad to feel okay because his teammates often merror his own emotions thanks to his sacrifice and ability to wear a mask to hide his true Devastation it would be the Celtics for the first time in two seasons moving on to the second round of the playoffs against the Washington Wizards May 2nd 2017 the now 28-year-old guard desperate to prove to the world that you can defeat whatever adversity it is that you face would go out and have the game of his career Thomas would use his signature array of hesitations crafty layups around the room and beautiful Lefty jump shots to score a brand new career high 53 points not only had it decimated the Wizard's defense he had led Boston to be a mere two wins away from making the Eastern Conference Finals when interviewed after the game about his historic performance Isaiah revealed the real truth about his insane night Isaiah where is this coming from man where is this coming from it's my sister it's her birthday today happy birthday she would have been 23 today so everything I do is for her and she's watching over me so that's all her however the Celtics and Isaiah would struggle over the next four games Washington led by the 2010 number one pick John Wall and the 2012 number three selection Bradley Beal had managed to win three games meaning the series was tied at three wins each but this was just the start of Isaiah Thomas' issues because during their game six loss the bone bruise that he had suffered in March had been re-aggravated and reports began appearing that he may be completely ruled out of the postseason Celtic fans sat in fear as the two teams prepared for game seven at Boston TD Garden wondering if they would see the player who had turned their franchise around or was his playoff run over Isaiah Thomas batted and bruised both physically and mentally after receiving hours upon hours of treatment to get him ready for this must-win game would step foot onto the iconic TD Garden floor ready as he had done hundreds of times before to lead his Squad to Victory the feelings of intense pain that shot through his whole body with every movement didn't stop the former last pick from dominating as game seven continued Isaiah Thomas would grit through everything finishing the night with 29 Points 12 assists and most importantly an Eastern Conference Finals ticket but was it a smart idea for it to play this game because in game two of the Eastern Conference Finals it became clear to everyone that something was seriously wrong with Thomas his explosiveness was gone he could no longer get into the paint his jump shot wasn't falling and he couldn't keep anyone in front of him defensively as the second half came to a close it was removed from the match only to never return and it was announced before their next game game that Isaiah Thomas had been ruled out of the remainder of the postseason while Boston would manag to win game three without him Cleveland would ultimately dismantle the Celtics with ease about a month later Isaiah was heading home from the airport after taking some time away to celebrate his wedding anniversary with his wife when out of the blue he got a phone call Michael Le's back here with you on Sports Center continuing our breaking news coverage of a potential trade between the Celtics and the Cavs that would basically swap the starting point guards for the two teams that faced off in last year's Eastern Conference Finals Kyrie Irving going to Boston Isaiah Thomas going to Cleveland along with some other players and a draft Thomas was shocked but at the same time he understood that it was a business decision and remained thankful for what the Celtics had done for him those three years in Boston were everything to me they were they they they they allowed me to reach Heights that I only dreamed of and they allowed me to reach you know be able to inspire so many kids that look like me that's my height that they never get a real chance however shortly after the trade was announced I's life was about to take another dramatic turn because he would finally see a hip specialist who uncovered that in fact Thomas didn't have a bone bruise no he had torn his lab and no cartilage remained in his hip meaning it was literally bone on bone Isaiah was offered a few voices but given he had a single season left on his contract and he wanted the max opted to just focus on rehabbing and strengthening the muscles around his hip in hopes of returning to True Form January 10th 2018 after months of grueling recovery the two-time allstar would make his way onto the court for his debut game for the Cleveland Cavaliers alongside a former aou teammate Kevin Love yet as this game progressed against the Portland Trailblazers one thing became clear this was not the Isaiah Thomas who was named to the all NBA second team no something was wrong it was nowhere near as athletic or explosive as he once was the small guard used to rely on his ability to attack the room to find layups or open teammates but now he couldn't even get into the paint Thomas was forced to rely on his jump shot which if your seven foot like Kevin Durant is great yet Isaiah who had to literally shoot over everyone struggled I couldn't do what I've always done so that was the most frustrating part and due to some internal issues within the Cavaliers coupled with their moves to recreate the roster after Kyrie left failing Isaiah Thomas was ultimately traded to the Los Angeles Lakers midseason in the exact same fashion as his time with the Cavaliers Isaiah continued to struggle gritting through the pain of his hip injury as well as the mantle toll of his performance slipping the only thing that kept he say at this rough point in his life was his two sons Thomas wanted to ensure that they never saw their father give up as the 2018 2019 season began Thomas would rekindle an old relationship by signing with the Denver Nuggets where his ex-head coach Mike Malone had been building a nugget team into a championship Contender however thanks to an arthoscopic surgery to try and fix his hip issues Isaiah would only appear in 12 12 games but the Nuggets would still pay Thomas as if he played the whole season a kind gesture from the first coach who told him to be you as the world entered into a new age in 2020 Isaiah would finally decide to get the surgery he opted against in 2017 he would get a full hip resurfacing basically some of his hip was replaced with metal and while it took him 8 months to recover he could now live painfree it without an NBA contract would continue to train and remain ready Thomas as he always did participated in various exhibition games and in the 2021 offseason Isaiah would drop 81 points against a team loaded with NBA Talent the former two-time Allstar clearly showing that he can still compete at a high level would break down after the game they gave up on me all the pain of everything he had been through rushed through his head from being doubted due to his height getting picked last slowly working his way up the NBA ladder to being a legitimate MVP candidate in 2017 only for 4 years later to not even have a contract for The Following Season while Isaiah would sign some 10-day contracts with various teams over the years and eventually lock in a deal with the Phoenix Suns in March of 2024 for the remainder of the Season his career essentially ended in 20 2017 Boston's medical staff who were all fired The Following Season inability to correctly diagnose Their Stars injury cost Isaiah not only his career $150 million but his life for 3 years also did you know that there was another NBA player who seemingly had zero basketball IQ J.