Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas is currently in his sixth professional season, and without a doubt, his most impressive one to date.
Thomas, who nearly went unselected in the 2011 draft, has propelled the Celtics to a top-3 status in the Eastern Conference with his stellar play and red-hot scoring. He’s managed to force himself into the conversation for Most Valuable Player, averaging a career-best 29.4 points per game this season.
But many people forget about Thomas’s situation before wearing Celtic green. Two years ago, Thomas was forced to play in a frustrating Phoenix Suns role alongside fellow point guards Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe.
The Suns moved on from Thomas without hesitation upon learning of his unhappiness, trading him to the Boston Celtics. Now, two years removed from the transaction, Thomas was asked on Saturday about the team’s decision:
“It’s like they gave me a Christmas gift by sending me away,” Thomas said, according to the Boston Globe.
Thomas wasn’t the only Suns player from two seasons ago that expressed a desire to leave the franchise. Along with him, both Goran Dragic and Markieff Morris grew fed up with the club. All three players were eventually traded.
Thomas is now in a far better situation with the Celtics, a team many believe are just one player away from truly contending with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“Boston is bigger and better than everything in the NBA,” Thomas said. “It’s something I’ve never seen before, and I’m just embracing it.”
Thomas, in his second season with the Celtics, has wasted no time becoming the clear-cut face of the franchise. Boston fans have taken him in as their top player without hesitation, and the two sides seem to be a perfect fit.
