After years of stockpiling talent in the form of several draft picks, the Boston Celtics finally broke the piggy bank and cashed in on them by landing a bona fide star point guard in Kyrie Irving, but that didn't come without a costly price to pay, letting go of the one player that had won over a blue-collar fan base that stuck with him night in and night out.
Isaiah Thomas at times symbolized the chip-on-the-shoulder attitude, the work ethic, and workman-like presence that the people of Boston identified with. After reading his goodbye article in The Players' Tribune, Thomas' former coach Brad Stevens chimed in on what his time with the Celtics meant to him.
“What Isaiah did was special,” said Stevens. “Isaiah's impact was special, I love Isaiah and I'm glad that he'll always have that here, he'll always have impact in Boston in that way. Obviously that's always the really hard part about this, from any coach or player's perspective is — with any change, there's always an emotional cost that's attached and [Isaiah] is a pretty significant emotional cost.”
Here's Brad Stevens on the @Isaiah_Thomas @PlayersTribune article #CelticsTalk pic.twitter.com/Z8t8nD2QRe
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) September 6, 2017
Stevens was the man who ultimately put all his faith on the 5-foot-9 dynamo, giving him full reins to the starting point guard job and enjoying every one of his successes as he became the third-leading scorer in the league and the most prolific fourth-quarter scoring option in the NBA last season.
“I look forward to seeing him,” Stevens added. “Not on the court, not against him, because he is a dynamite player but I am happy to have had a chance to work with him.”
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