Tag: Isaiah Thomas

On this day: Boston Celtic guards Isaiah Thomas, Milt Palacio born

On this day in Celtics history: point guards Isaiah Thomas and Milt Palacio were born.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, former Celtics fan favorite floor general Isaiah Jamar Thomas — also known as IT — was born in Tacoma, Washington back in 1989. The Tacoma native would play his NCAA ball with the University of Washington Huskies, picked up with the 60th and final pick of the 2011 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings.

IT would play stints there and with the Phoenix Suns before being traded to the Celtics for Marcus Thornton and draft assets as part of a major three-team deal. The King in the Fourth (as Thomas was often called as a nickname due to his late-game scoring prowess) would quickly become an offensive force with the Celtics.

He would play three seasons with Boston between 2015 and 2017.

On this day: IT goes for 38 vs. Rockets; Celtics hold Knicks to 46 points

On this day in Celtics history, Isaiah Thomas goes off for 38 points against Houston, and Boston holds New York to just 46 points.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the storied franchise set a record for the ages by holding their opponent on the night to the fourth-lowest score in their ball club’s seven-plus decades of existence.

That record would be set in the ball club’s very first season of existence (1946-47) — incidentally, also the first season of the Basketball Association of America (BAA, a precursor league to the NBA). The game was played just two days after Boston set a record for the second-lowest score an opponent was held to in franchise history, a 48-43 win over the (now defunct) Pittsburgh Ironmen.

The Celtics nearly duplicated the feat in a 52-46 win over the New York Knicks on Jan. 25, 1947.

Celtics legend continues to hold out hope of an NBA return

Isaiah Thomas still wants another shot at the NBA, as he told the Boston Celtics “View from the Rafters” podcast.

Isaiah Thomas hasn’t suited up for an NBA team since April 10, 2022. Since then, the former Boston Celtics guard has been on the outside of the league looking in, waiting for his next opportunity to arise. Unfortunately for him, that opportunity has yet to find him. Instead, Thomas continues to focus on his fitness and skills training, just in case the phone rings.

During a recent appearance on the Celtics “View from the Rafters” podcast, hosted by Marc D’Amico, Thomas shared his belief that he can be a valuable member of a rotation, both on and off the court.

“I’m staying ready. I’m 34 years old. Healthy. Just trying to stay as mentally and physically ready as possible,” Thomas said. “I still want to pursue my NBA dream of being on a roster and contributing, taking advantage of any opportunity I get. I know I can help an organization in more ways than just putting the basketball in the hoops.”

At 34 years old, Thomas could have another few seasons of elite basketball left in him. However, he has struggled to hold down a spot in an NBA rotation since suffering a hip injury during his final season with the Celtics. Since then, it’s been short stays and 10 days (referring to 10-day contracts.)

Thomas has played in 550 games during his NBA career, averaging 17.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists on 43.4% shooting and 36.2% from 3-point range. Celtics fans will likely be hoping to see their former point guard back in the NBA for one last hoorah. Whether or not that comes to fruition will be something we have to wait and see.

Listen to the “Green With Envy” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3DoLhYK

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Oj4dhD

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3K8MbvY

Isaiah Thomas and the Celtics: Reliving a golden era of Boston fandom

The ties between Boston fans and Thomas persist up to even today, with the Slow Grind King still engaged with the fans and the team.

In the depths of the long and often dull rebuild between the Boston Celtics’ last era of contention in this one, one of the best and brightest stars the fans of the team were graced with was the King In The Fourth, Isaiah Thomas. IT, as we tended to call “the little guy,” a man with as many nicknames as anyone in the league had, captured the hearts and minds of Celtics nation with his electric play.

We all know the sour note that era ended on for all involved, but the ties between Boston fans and Thomas persist up to even today, with the Slow Grind King still engaged with the fans and the team.

To take a trip back down memory lane and revisit that brilliant epoch of Boston basketball, the team-produced “View From the Rafters” podcast linked up with IT for their most recent episode.

Make sure you don’t miss this episode, embedded above.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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On this day: Isaiah Thomas goes for 52; most points in a half for Celtics (85)

On this day in 2016, the King in the Fourth scored 29 of his regular-season career-high of 52 points in that quarter.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, fan-favorite point guard Isaiah Thomas scored a regular season career-high 52 points in a 117-114 win against the Miami Heat at TD Garden back in 2016.

The King in the Fourth went off for 29 of those 52 points in just the fourth quarter alone, putting up a total of 26 shots while making 15 of them, connecting on 9-of-13 shots the Tacoma native put up that night. The Washington native was also a perfect 13-of-13 from the line to fill out the rest of his historic night of offense against the Heat.

Thomas reached a point total only the likes of Celtics legends Larry Bird (60 and 53 points) and Kevin McHale (56 points) had attained.

On this day: Rondo traded for Crowder; most team assists in ’85

On this day, the Celtics traded Rajon Rondo to the Mavericks for Jae Crowder, and Boston logged 46 assists against Dallas, their most ever.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the storied franchise traded champion point guard Rajon Rondo and center Dwight Powell to the Dallas Mavericks in 2014 in exchange for small forward Jae Crowder, point guard Jameer Nelson, big man Brandan Wright, draft assets, and a $13 million trade exception.

The move finally brought to an end the last remaining player from the team’s 2008 NBA title tenure with the franchise, Rondo having been with the Celtics since the Phoenix Suns drafted him out of Kentucky with the 21st overall pick of the 2006 NBA draft and dealt him to Boston on draft night.

Powell was a more recent arrival, having come over in the deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers for Keith Bogans in September of that year.

Adam Silver’s longest NBA on-court suspensions, including Draymond Green

Adam Silver has only issued a handful of multi-game suspensions for on-court incidents.

Since taking over for David Stern, commissioner Adam Silver has not issued suspensions as often or for as long. But some still stand out.

Even though Silver does not have much reputation as a disciplinarian as the NBA’s commissioner, there are a few moments that have required him to be a bit more strict than usual.

While there are unfortunately several off-court incidents that have needed attention from Silver, it is rare that something that has happened during an actual game has led to a player receiving forced time away from the team.

But the recent suspension of Golden State’s Draymond Green for his violent chokehold of Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert led us to wonder how this compares to other on-court suspensions Silver has issued.

According to research from For The Win, per Spotrac, the NBA has now issued 15 multi-game suspensions for on-court incidents since Silver took over as league commissioner in 2014.

Based on what we found, here is what caused each of the suspensions:

Boston’s Payton Pritchard on meeting Isaiah Thomas, playing with Kristaps Porzingis

Pritchard has spent his summer prepping for a bigger role in pursuit of a title and has spent time working out with one of the shortest Celtics of all time while waiting to meet one of the tallest.

Boston Celtics reserve guard Payton Pritchard has spent his summer prepping for a bigger role in pursuit of a title and has spent time working out with one of the shortest Celtics of all time while waiting to meet one of the tallest. Speaking in a recent interview with the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach, Pritchard opened up about his workouts with fan favorite guard Isaiah Thomas while he awaits the arrival of Kristaps Porzingis in Boston.

“I think he’s an unbelievable player who is obviously really tall and can affect the game in a whole different way that we haven’t had, with his ability to shoot and put it on the floor and attack those mismatches,” said Pritchard.

“I’m looking forward to playing with him, and it’s going to be good,” he added.

The Oregon alum spent time this summer with IT at the Vancouver Pro-Am, and the experience left a lasting impression. “When I was growing up, he was a killer on the court,” Pritchard related.

“It’s somebody that at his size did some things here that were remarkable. So to be top five in MVP, Mr. Fourth Quarter, what he was doing, the city will always remember. He’ll always be a legend.”

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Every player in Boston Celtics history who wore No. 4

Today’s installment focuses on the 30 players who wore No. 4 over the years as of September 2023.

The Boston Celtics have more retired jerseys than any other team in the NBA, but that doesn’t mean the rest of their jerseys have little history or interest tied to them.

In fact, with 17 titles to their name and decades of competitive basketball played in them, their unretired jersey numbers pack in some of the most history not hanging from the rafters of any team in the league. To that end, we have launched our accounting of that history, with every player in every jersey worn by more than one Celtics player in the storied franchise’s history accounted for.

Today’s installment focuses on the 30 players who wore No. 4 over the years as of September 2023.

Isaiah Thomas on how film sessions with Kobe Bryant made him a better Boston Celtic

IT also touched on the Seattle hoops scene and the league’s stars of tomorrow in the chat.

If we told you one of  Bostons’ biggest rivals was a key reason one of the Celtics’ most beloved stars was good enough to capture the hearts of Boston fans to begin with, you might be skeptical.

We are, of course, talking about how Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant worked with point guard Isaiah Thomas ahead of the season the latter took a big step forward in Boston.

We have receipts from the man himself. He opened up on how Bryant helped him during his breakout year with the Celtics in a recent interview with the folks behind the “Gil’s Arena” podcast.

Thomas also touched on the Seattle hoops scene and the league’s stars of tomorrow in the chat, so be sure to check it out in full for yourself in the clip embedded below.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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