Danny Ainge is ready to put the mini-feud with Isaiah Thomas behind him.
The Boston Celtics president of basketball operations shocked the basketball world over the offseason when he traded Thomas in a package to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Kyrie Irving. Thomas publicly has stated his distaste for how the deal went down and claimed he might never speak to Ainge again.
Ainge initially took the high road following Thomas’ strong words, but he decided to speak his mind a bit more Tuesday during an appearance on WEEI’s “Dale & Holley with Keefe.”
“I don’t know what we owe him,” Ainge said, via WEEI.com. “We gave him an opportunity, we gave him everything he had while he was here, and he gave us everything he had.”
Ainge has a point: Thomas was nothing more than a role player during his first four seasons in the league and didn’t make the transition to superstar until he arrived in Boston. Not to mention, it’s not like Ainge hung Thomas out to dry with this trade. The sharpshooting guard has been given an incredible opportunity to play on one of the best teams in the league alongside arguably the best player in the world in LeBron James.
We’re not sure how long Thomas’ grudge towards Ainge his going to last, but if he really wants to stick it to his old team, the best way he can achieve that is by having a career year on the court.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
