Former Boston Celtics star (and maybe legend, depending on who you ask) Isaiah Thomas recently rejoined the team as a scout, which was exciting news for the fans and was something they absolutely needed.
As most remember, Boston traded Thomas to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017 as part of the deal that landed them Kyrie Irving. Even if it was generally considered the right move from a basketball perspective (Thomas' MVP play wasn't sustainable, and Irving was just entering his prime), it was a gut punch to the fans because of how much they embraced the former "Mr. Irrelevant" during his run with the team.
Fortunately for Celtics fans, they finally got the closure they needed, as Thomas recently said the team "did right by me" after bringing him back as a scout to start the next chapter of his basketball career (h/t Chris Mason of MassLive.com).
“The Celtics did right by me. They’ve been wanting me to do this for a while, and it was something of interest,” said Thomas. “And we came to something that made sense and it still allowed me to be able to do these things like do our podcast, (and) coach my boys, which was very important for me.
“I’ve gotta give a big shoutout to the Celtics, Brad Stevens and the whole organization, wanting me to be a part of something they’ve got going on. This is only the beginning, so I’m excited. This is something I can go pro in as well in my second act of my life.”
The Celtics finally corrected the painful Isaiah Thomas trade
"The Little Guy" wasn't in Boston for long (179 games over 2.5 seasons), but his time with the team was still a special time. He officially ushered in a new era for the team after they lost Ray Allen in free agency in 2012, traded Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett in 2023, and Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green (who many expected to be the team's next star following the end of the "Big Three" era) in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
During his time with the Celtics, Thomas was a two-time All-Star (and played a big role in the team signing Al Horford in 2016 and Gordon Hayward in 2017) and finished fifth in MVP voting in 2016-17 (the same season he led Boston to an improbable No. 1 seed and Eastern Conference Finals appearance).
Thomas' time in Boston was a classic example of "you just had to be there." He never won a title with the team or anything like that, but he was a beacon of hope for a Celtics team that desperately needed it after losing all their top guys from their 2008 title team.
He helped the team exceed expectations time and time again, he notoriously played in the playoffs one day after his sister's unexpected death in 2017, he was as resilient as they come and always stepped up when it matters (outside of maybe Paul Pierce, there is no other Celtic from my lifetime that I would trust more than Thomas to take the last shot), and he played with his heart on his sleeve every single game.
So when the Celtics sent him away to Cleveland, especially for Irving, who left the team on a sour note just two years later, it hurt. But fortunately for everyone involved, it seems like everything has finally come full circle for Thomas and the Celtics.
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