Matt Thomas

Matthew William Thomas was born on August 4, 1994, in Decatur, Illinois, and raised in Onalaska, Wisconsin. He developed into an exceptional high school basketball player at Onalaska High School, earning first-team all-state honors as a junior in 2012. That year, he led his team to a Division 2 state championship, averaging 21.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.1 steals. In his senior year, Thomas further distinguished himself by averaging 28.3 points and 9.7 rebounds, leading his team to the state semifinals. He concluded his high school career with over 2,000 points and a 95–12 overall record.

Thomas attended Iowa State University, where he began his college career as a starter for the Iowa State Cyclones. As a freshman, he appeared in all 36 games, averaging 5.5 points and demonstrating his three-point shooting ability. His collegiate career saw him develop further, particularly in his junior and senior years, leading to a strong performance in the 2016-17 season where he averaged 12.3 points per game. After college, Thomas commenced his professional journey in Europe, playing for Obradoiro CAB (2017–2018) and Valencia Basket (2018–2019), where he earned the nickname “Mr. 99%” for his efficiency in catch-and-shoot attempts. He was a EuroCup champion with Valencia in 2019 and led the Spanish League in three-point field goal percentage that same year.

Thomas transitioned to the NBA in 2019, signing with the Toronto Raptors. He made his NBA debut in October 2019 and, despite a fractured finger injury, demonstrated his scoring capabilities, hitting a career-high 22 points in August 2020. He later played for the Utah Jazz (2021) and the Chicago Bulls (2021–2022). After his time in the NBA, Thomas returned to Europe, joining Panathinaikos in Greece (2023) and subsequently Alba Berlin in Germany (2023–2025), before signing with Covirán Granada in Spain from 2025 onwards. Throughout his career, Thomas has been recognized for his consistent shooting and professional approach to the game.