As expected, Isaiah Thomas got nothing but love from Boston Celtics fans as he returned to the TD Garden.

The Boston Celtics showed a video tribute to their former player while fans gave him a standing ovation.

While Isaiah Thomas has been cut from the Denver Nuggets rotation, coach Michael Malone understood the importance of the game for IT and decided to field him in the first quarter. The crowd at The Garden then made sure their former hero gets all the love he deserves.

Thomas played again in February after a successful hip surgery last summer. He has been dealing with a hip injury for the past two years, which is the main reason why the Celtics decided to part ways with him.

During his three-year stint with Boston, Thomas became one of the best players in the league. He was sensational for the Celtics, especially in 2016 when he became an MVP candidate. It's a bit saddening that he was unable to accomplish a lot due to injuries, but he clearly gave Boston everything that he had.

The Celtics is the first team to give Thomas the chance to become a primary option on offense, and for the former 60th overall pick, that meant a lot, considering the fact that he wasn't even perceived to become a regular rotation guy when he first came into the league.

Now, Thomas has a loyal fan base in Boston, and that will never change even if he's suiting up for another team.

As Boston fans always say, ‘Once a Celtic, always a Celtic.'