Isaiah Thomas

Isaiah Jamar Thomas was born on February 7, 1989, in Tacoma, Washington. He attended Curtis Senior High School in University Place, Washington, where he averaged 31.2 points per game as a junior. To improve his academic standing for a scholarship, he repeated his senior year at South Kent School in South Kent, Connecticut, graduating in 2008. Thomas then played three seasons of college basketball for the Washington Huskies, earning three all-conference selections in the Pac-10. During his college career, he was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 2009 and a two-time First-team All-Pac-10 in 2010 and 2011. He notably scored 28 points and hit a game-winning buzzer-beater in overtime to secure the Pac-10 tournament championship against Arizona in 2011, earning his second Pac-10 tournament MVP title. He declared for the NBA draft in 2011, forgoing his final year of collegiate eligibility.

Thomas was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the 60th and final pick in the 2011 NBA draft. He quickly made an impact, earning NBA Rookie of the Month honors for both February and March 2012, becoming the first player drafted last overall to achieve this. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. During the 2013-14 season, Thomas joined an exclusive group of players under 6 feet tall to average over 20 points and six assists per game, and recorded his first career triple-double with 24 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds against the Washington Wizards on March 18, 2014—making him the shortest player to ever do so. His time with the Kings showcased his scoring prowess and strong connection with the fanbase before he was traded to the Phoenix Suns in July 2014.

In February 2015, Thomas was traded to the Boston Celtics, where he reached new heights in his career. He was named an Eastern Conference All-Star reserve for both the 2016 and 2017 NBA All-Star Games. In the 2016-17 season, he was an All-NBA Second Team selection, averaging 28.9 points per game, the third-highest in the league. He set a franchise record with 43 consecutive 20-point games and a career-high 52 points against the Miami Heat in December 2016. Despite a hip injury sustained during the 2016-17 season, he led the Celtics to the first seed in the Eastern Conference and a deep playoff run, including a 53-point performance in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. His career continued with stints on the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, Charlotte Hornets, and Phoenix Suns again, alongside several appearances in the NBA G League, including the Grand Rapids Gold and Salt Lake City Stars. His journey has been marked by overcoming injury and consistently competing at a high level.