Isaiah Thomas Explains Emoji Tweet That Fueled Celtics Trade Rumors

The eyeballs meant nothing.

Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas fueled trade rumors Monday night by posting a cryptic tweet featuring nothing but the eyeball emoji, a symbol typically used to indicate something caught your attention. Thomas explained Thursday afternoon just hours before the NBA trade deadline that the tweet wasn’t related to anything serious, though, even if it did cause plenty of social media commotion.

“I was watching a TV show, man,” Thomas told reporters after Celtics practice. “I don’t know what the emojis are about.”

https://twitter.com/Isaiah_Thomas/status/833849682656796673

Thomas’ tweet obviously was vague, but it generated buzz for a few reasons.

First, Thomas tweeted the exact same thing over the offseason just before the Celtics signed Al Horford in free agency. Some C’s fans thus (understandably) assumed a move was forthcoming.

Second, the Celtics have been heavily involved in trade rumors, especially in recent weeks, so it was completely logical to think Thomas’ tweet was more than just hijinks.

And third, Thomas’ tweet later was retweeted and tweeted again by Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond. Drummond has been a subject of trade rumors leading up to the deadline, and the Celtics could use a big man to help in the rebounding department.

Alas, all remained quiet on the trade front in the immediate aftermath of Thomas’ tweet, perhaps prompting an ensuing tweet in which the two-time All-Star used an hourglass emoji.

But didn’t Thomas realize he was going to send Green Teamers into a frenzy?

“I didn’t,” Thomas told reporters Thursday, smiling, per The Boston Globe. “I did it and I realized like, ‘What just happened?’ I didn’t mean to shake the internet like that. I didn’t mean to do that to you all.”

As for the hourglass tweet he dropped Wednesday (seen below)?