Isaiah Thomas
5’9” Point Guard in a Sport of Giants
Isaiah Thomas came into the NBA and was doubted by many. He was picked last in the draft making him a clear underdog. He lost his sister in a car accident at the beginning of the playoffs, and has now suffered a hip injury sitting him on the bench for the rest of the series against the Cavaliers.
Amidst all of this adversity, we can see that Thomas is both a special player and a special person. He is someone who can take negative energy and use it to fuel him, and he is not overcome by the bravado and cockiness of being a professional athlete. By watching Isaiah we can learn a lot:
1. Better today than yesterday. After being selected last in the draft back in 2011 there was no doubt every time Thomas stepped out on the court he was extremely driven to prove himself. Anytime, anywhere, he saw as an opportunity. Garbage time, game on. With that mentality, he raised his points per game figures from 11.5 per game in his rookie season to 28.9.
2. Pain fuels passion. After Thomas’ sister was killed he was thinking about giving it all up. Not even giving the playoffs a shot after the remarkable season he had. Instead of quitting, he took his grief and channeled it, and poured-in 53 points in the second game of the playoffs. He played with a purpose, for his sister.
3. Stronger with a second set of eyes. Any spectator can see that Thomas is not in the league for the money, he wants to ultimately be the best player he can be. He is always willing to learn and continues to be a student of the game. Thomas has sat down for 1-on-1 talks with Kobe Bryant to look at areas of his game that he can work on. This is a great way to get a fresh perspective.
Isaiah teaches us a number of lessons: Turn adversity into action, be your own competition, and prove the haters wrong. Vancouver basketball is honored to share his story and even though he has been setback with an injury he will definitely come back next season ready to ball.
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