Isaiah Thomas Receives Standing Ovation In NBA Return To Lakers

That slow grind Isaiah Thomas always preaches finally paid off.

Thomas signed a 10-day hardship contract with the Los Angeles Lakers due to much of the team being impacted by COVID-19 and made his long-awaited return to the NBA on Friday night at Target Center against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The 32-year-old received a standing ovation when he checked into the game.

Check it out:

Thomas went on to drop a team-high 19 points for LA in its eventual loss.

The unfortunate thing for Thomas is that he only will be with the Lakers until players begin to get healthy and make their return. The fortunate thing, though, is that if he continues to play like this, he may end up with a contract.