Isaiah Thomas determined to return to NBA after G league debut: “I’ll continue until they say, stop”

When Isaiah Thomas became a two-time NBA All-Star in 2017, no one anticipated his sharp decline through the NBA ladders that occurred afterwards. Maybe even Isaiah himself was not ready for the fall from grace. He kept getting into the NBA scene with contracts that were short-lived. The turn of fortune hit Isaiah hard, but he kept soldiering on.

Now in 2024, Isaiah Thomas is still hoping to break the cycle of temporary employment and do justice to his once acclaimed potential in the game.

Isaiah Thomas is determined to make his NBA return

Isaiah Thomas took a bold decision of moving to the G League with a sole aim to return to the NBA after struggling to land a contract in the top league.

After a hip injury in 2017, Thomas had a tough time getting a long-term contract following the 2019-20 season. During the 2020-2021 season, he signed a 10-day contract with the New Orleans Pelicans while he made three appearances with them.

The 2-time NBA All-Star then joined the Grand Rapids Gold of the G League the next season. His performance with the Gold bagged him another 10-day contract with the LA Lakers where he appeared for four games. He got the same contract with the Dallas Mavericks too. However, he only played one game with them.

Things started looking better when he signed the same contract with the Charlotte Hornets in March 2022. The franchise repeated another 10-day deal before signing him for the rest of the season. Despite having a decent season, Thomas did not get an extension.

Usually at this point, players give up, but it was not an option for the 35-year-old. Thomas joined the affiliates of Utah Jazz, the Salt Lake City Stars and appeared for his first game on Thursday. Playing for the Stars, Thomas scored a game-high 32 points, 5 rebounds and four assists on his debut game.

The 35-year-old recently said, “Ultimately I’m just fighting for an opportunity, I’m just trying to show teams that I’m still able to produce on the court”. He continued to say, “I’m not going to give it up until nobody calls and they’re like, ‘Just stop.'” The former Celtics player strongly believes that if he keeps on trying he will be able to return to NBA unless he is asked to stop.

Isaiah Thomas reveals real motivation behind G League move

Isaiah Thomas played for 11 years in 10 different teams. With his experience the point guard wants to teach the young players in the G league, like he often has earlier but more importantly there is motive behind his move to the league which is not so discreet anymore.

When he was asked on “FanDuel’s Run It Back” podcast about why he did not join the teams in the overseas, the veteran said that he wanted to stay close to his family. Though that was not the only reason he joined the G League.

Talking about his move Thomas said, “I think this is the quickest route to get back in the NBA, and to get on a playoff roster by the end of the season.”

Although his age could be a setback, Thomas has a strong determination of a come back to the NBA and is off to a good start with his performance.