Isaiah Thomas is a player whose NBA journey is not only revered, but his diminutive 5-foot-9 size and Herculean feats on the court have garnered him a legion of fans who still enjoy seeing him in NBA action.
Being one of the more soft-spoken, heroic and relatable NBA players has served Thomas well as he fights for his NBA career, which has spanned 12 years and 10 teams.
After not playing since the 2021-22 season and finding it hard to get back on with a team, Thomas was killing in the G League and got picked up in March by the Phoenix Suns for an expected NBA Finals run, but he wound up playing just six games in his second stint with the team, as the Suns were eliminated by Minnesota in the first round.
Thomas has always been a calming presence as a play who was quick on his feet and a great communicator. These skills reportedly served him well during Memorial Day, when he helped subdue a potentially fatal situation in his hometown of Tacoma, Washington.
Tacoma has one of the highest crime rates in America. The crime rate is 62 or 66 per 1,000 residents, depending on the source. The chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime is reportedly between one in 10 and one in 16.
Isaiah Thomas Gets AK-47 Pointed at Him By Kid
On Tuesday, Thomas detailed a terrifying encounter that seemingly unfolded in Tacoma in a now-deleted tweet where he said he and his party were approached by a “kid” who pointed an AK-47 at them, but backed down when he recognized the former NBA star.
Thomas also referred to it as “my city” when he posted a picture he took with Lil Wayne when the rapper performed there earlier this month.
Isaiah Thomas Is Legendary
For every aspiring athlete who wasn’t big or tall enough, for everybody who was ever picked last on the playground, for anyone who has dreamed an impossible dream, Thomas is a hero.
And that was before the 2017 NBA postseason, when Isaiah captured the nation’s attention by leading the Boston Celtics on an emotional and inspiring run to the Eastern Conference finals following the death of his younger sister, Chyna, who was killed in a car accident the day before the playoffs began.
Literally shedding tears on the court and during postgame interviews, Isaiah played through his grief and had six games in which he scored 25-plus points, highlighted by a 53-point effort against the Washington Wizards in the conference semifinals.
The 2016-17 season was the one in which the 5-foot-9 bucket-getter became a certified superstar. He finished third in the NBA in scoring, second in fourth-quarter scoring, and fifth in league MVP voting. He led the Celtics to the best regular-season record in the East and he made the All-NBA Second Team.
For the short kid from the relatively obscure and overshadowed city of Tacoma, who wasn’t a five-star recruit in high school and was then taken with the last pick of the NBA draft, 2017 it was a year of unthinkable tragedy but also incredible triumph.
It’s why he will still get a phone call answered eventually by some front office in the league.
Without knowing the details, in that instance, when he faced the barrel of an AK-47 he chose compassion and understood the moment. His endearing celebrity helped too, as he stated.
“If it wasn’t for who I was and him recognizing me in my own city, he probably woulda ended all our lives.” Thomas said in the now-deleted Tweet.
Those are character gems that he’s benefitted from his entire life.
