Terry Rozier’s 2019 season was drastically different from his 2018 campaign. Despite the roller coaster, the point guard received a three-year, $56.7 million deal from the Charlotte Hornets.
His last few weeks in Boston didn’t go too smoothly, and many Celtics fans were probably happy to see him go. But Rozier says watching a former teammate battle the ups and downs helped him navigate his own.
Rozier played two seasons with Isaiah Thomas from 2016 to 2018, and during that time he came to respect the undersized guard more than anyone in the league.
“I just respect him probably more than I respect just about anybody in this league, just seeing it,” Rozier told Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Abrams.
Of course, Thomas battled through some remarkable adversity during his time in Boston, which was not lost on the now-Charlotte Hornets point guard.
“You got to own your own space in this league because he did a lot for us,” Rozier said. “He was a true warrior, a true Celtic. Six-hour surgeries on his tooth, sister died, playing the next day, scoring 53 points. Leaving his heart out there, crying on the court and all. Anything you can think of, him getting shots in his hip right before the game, taking away the pain.”
We think most Boston fans would agree in defining Thomas as a “true Celtic.”
