Wizards point guard Isaiah Thomas has dealt with quite a bit of adversity over the past few seasons, as he was forced to the sidelines due to injuries. On Monday night, however, the former second-round pick got a shot in Washington's starting lineup, and he couldn't be happier.
After more than one and a half years (March 2018), Thomas was back in a starting rotation. He logged 24 minutes in the 115-99 victory over the Detroit Pistons, scoring nine points on 4-of-12 shooting from the field (1-of-5 from beyond the arc), six assists, two rebounds, one block and one steal.
Isaiah Thomas was inserted into the Wizards starting line-up last night and he helped lead them to the win, check out his highlights 🧙♂️ pic.twitter.com/EuUZN82Fzh
— NBA UK (@NBAUK) November 5, 2019
“To go through (what I went through) for two years, it was tough. I'm not going to lie to you,” Thomas said following Monday night's win. “And it did break me at times, but like I've said before, it can't storm forever. The sun has to come out at some point.
“I have a real faith in God, and I know he puts you through things that you can always handle,” Thomas added. “I have a great circle around me — great friends and great family members that have helped me through these last two years. It's just about taking advantage of the opportunity.”
"I chose the Wizards because they looked me in the eye and told me they would give me an opportunity and I can’t thank them enough.”
– @isaiahthomas after his first start 🏁 pic.twitter.com/3GWEDt26PE
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) November 5, 2019
Though he's bounced around the league and dealt with lengthy recovery times, Thomas is a fighter, and he says he'll never quit:
“I'm never gonna quit, no matter what,” Thomas told The Athletic after Monday's game. “I've been through real-lfe situations that are bigger than basketball. Really, I probably looked my kids in their eyes, and that's probably what kept me going because it's been tough the last two years, but I know my end goal. I know I wanna be one of the best basketball players to ever play. I know I've got a lot left in the tank, and I'm only 30 years old.”
Hopefully, Isaiah Thomas can maintain a clean bill of health throughout this season. He and Washington will be back in action on Wednesday night, as the Wizards are scheduled for a matchup against the Indiana Pacers at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Follow Us
Subscribe