Boston Celtics fans everywhere will remember Isaiah Thomas’ 2016-17 season for a long time, but the point guard’s run following those heroics has been much less memorable.
Thomas played through a hip injury in 2017 that consequently derailed his career. The 30-year-old recently signed with the Washington Wizards, making it his fourth team in three years, but he says he’s looking forward to the opportunity.
[nesn_embed_the_score team=”celtics”]
He recently spoke to the media and discussed his time with the Celtics, saying he “took a bullet” by playing with an injury, ultimately killing his chance at a max contract.
“I took a bullet,” Thomas said, via NBC Sports Washington. “That’s in terms of max contracts, all that. People not playing to get their max deals. I took a bullet for sure.
“I was going through other stuff at that time, so basketball was the only thing that was helping me through that time off the court. But I feel like yeah, especially with the Kawhi Leonard thing, he sat out for a reason. He seen my situation, for sure he seen it. The list goes on. Load management I think is smart for players.”
Looking back on the situation, Thomas likely would have been in line for a max deal had he stopped playing, but like he said, his decision has impacted the way players handle their contracts today for the better, as they use it as a lesson learned.
With John Wall sidelined due to an Achilles injury and Tomas Satoransky heading to the Chicago Bulls, Thomas will get a chance to play quality minutes in Washington.
