All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas made a young 14-year-old’s dreams come true last week.
Robbie McNulty, a diehard Celtics fan who was shooting around at a park by himself Tuesday night, was frozen with shock when he saw Isaiah Thomas walking towards him.
From Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe:
Thomas and his wife, Kayla, were leaving back-to-school night for parents at Cambridge Montessori School, where their son Jaiden attends pre-K. Thomas saw an adult softball game taking place and told Kayla he wanted to swing a bat there. She told him that was not a good idea. Then he saw Robbie shooting baskets by himself.
“He was the only kid there,” Thomas said. “So I’m like, ‘I’m just going to go get some shots up with him.’ When I walked over, he rebounded his own shot and turned around and I’m like, ‘Can I get a couple shots?’ And he stopped. He didn’t even say a word, like his eyes were so big. He just stopped and froze and I’m like, ‘Pass me the ball.’ ”
Robbie McNulty, who had just finished his already overwhelming first day of High School, couldn’t believe who was standing in front of him.
McNulty and Thomas took turns shooting and rebounding for each other before Thomas eventually had to go.
During their 10-minute session, the two talked about the upcoming season, school, and other things, according to Himmelsbach. Robbie then texted his mom in disbelief afterwards:
“Mom, you’re not even going to believe this,” he wrote. “The best thing ever just happened to me.”
His friends initially did not believe him. Then he sent a picture of himself with Thomas, and his friends could not believe some stupid puddles had kept them from going to the court that night.
The next day of school for Robbie would be different, with everyone in town knowing what had happened. Thomas made the boy’s day, just like he would’ve wanted when he was his age.
“I love just little interactions like that,” Thomas told Himmelsbach. “I know it means a lot, because I was once in his shoes. I was once that kid at games wanting a player to just wave to me and acknowledge me, so I know that feeling and I know that’s my job now.”
Isaiah Thomas and the Celtics open up their season at home against Brooklyn on October 26th.
