For all intents and purposes, Isaiah Thomas ' journey from being the last player selected in the 2011 NBA Draft to a high-scoring All-Star is the stuff of Hallmark movies.
After everyone celebrated Allen Iverson because of his fearless nature, on and off the basketball court, Thomas appeared to be on the same trajectory, especially in the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs, when he scored 53 points in Game 2 against the Washington Wizards , battling not only the Wizards' defense but also the intense grief he felt following the untimely passing of his sister due to a vehicular accident.
Unfortunately for IT, that magical season with the Boston Celtics , which saw him finish fifth in the MVP race and earn a spot on the All-NBA Second Team, proved to be the high point of his career. What followed next was an arduous journey from one team to another as he sought to rekindle the fire that made him one of the most formidable scorers in the NBA from 2014 to 2017.
Before long, Thomas went from making $7,238,606 a season to signing 10-day contracts; a cruel twist of fate for a man who was supposed to be an inspirational figure for hoopers who weren't blessed with height and heft.
Former NBA champion Glen Davis , though, asserted that as disheartening as it was to see Thomas struggle to hold on to a roster spot during the latter part of his career, it wasn't surprising; his story is just one of many similar ones.
Davis, a 6'9″ power forward who won a title with the Boston Celtics in 2008, said that what happened to Thomas was just part of the NBA experience. As much as the league is centered around a sport, it is still very much a business. And when it comes to crunching the numbers, Davis asserted that nobody does it better than the NBA.
"One thing about the NBA and all, they have the best statistics and they use them. If you don't fit in their statistics and their numbers," Davis declared . "They won't pick you."
Thomas' stats may have been gaudy and his story sentimental, but at the end of the day, it's a numbers game and apparently, NBA teams didn't think the 5'9″ guard was worth a hefty, long-term contract.
"He's one of those guys that is not about statistics. It's just about basketball, right? And some guys, some organizations don't f—k with it," Big Baby stated.
If a player who averaged almost 30 points can't hack it in the NBA, then what message does that send to those who want to pursue their hoop dreams?
"You're looking at Isaiah, who's had a great year, played great and now can't even get on a team nowhere, right? Hopping from team to team. It's crazy. Trying to fight to get in the league," Davis remarked. "I remember watching his documentary or something. It was so sad, right? You know what I mean?"
"But at the same time, you got to see the game of basketball as what it is and take your punches and roll with it."
As terrific as Thomas was as a 20-point-per-game scorer during his stints in Sacramento and Boston, it wasn't hard to figure out why he struggled later on. Aside from the hip injury that he couldn't shake off, at his size, teams felt that having him on the floor was more of a liability than a benefit defensively, especially during a game's crucial moments.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Sep 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
