Diminutive free agent Isaiah Thomas is fighting to get back into the NBA.
The 5-foot-9 dynamo vaulted into NBA prominence while playing with the Boston Celtics.
There, the score-first point guard earned his two All-Star berths and a spot on the 2016-17 All-NBA Second Team.
But since then, Thomas has bounced around the league, playing with five different teams over the last four seasons and not playing more than 40 games in any of those.
To his credit though, Thomas continues to work toward another NBA opportunity, most recently showcasing his scoring talents at a Pro-Am in Seattle.
Some highlights of our guy @isaiahthomas dropping 81 points and setting a new record for points in a game! Legendary and special! And his squad won at #TheCrawsOver 🎥 @HomeTeamHoops pic.twitter.com/oIh4KdgPRK
— TheCrawsOver (@thecrawsover) August 9, 2021
He Can Still Score
Thomas, from nearby Tacoma, Washington, wowed fans in attendance at the Crawsover Pro-Am in Seattle last Sunday.
Hosted by former NBA star and three-time Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford, this Pro-Am showcased Thomas’ top flight ability to score the basketball, as the 32-year-old dropped 81 points in the game.
Playing in front of a packed house at Seattle Pacific University, he dazzled those in attendance with his scoring binge.
The former University of Washington Husky demonstrated the full array of his shot-making repertoire, burying pull-up threes, nailing midrange fade-aways, and netting floating runners.
His ball-handling skills were on display as well, as one defender found out:
The look away though… @isaiahthomas @thecrawsover pic.twitter.com/bFmIcbi6Dy
— Home Team Hoops (@HomeTeamHoops) August 9, 2021
Thomas’ performance is reportedly the highest scoring output in the history of Seattle’s summer pro-am league.
Had his performance come in an NBA contest, it would have tied Kobe Bryant‘s mark for the second-most points scored in a game.
Ironically, Thomas wore the No. 24 while playing with the New Orleans Pelicans last season, in honor of Bryant.
Thomas, though, played in just three games with New Orleans, and scored just 23 points total.
He was understandably emotional following his scoring outburst, saying: “They gave up on me.”
Still Drawing NBA Interest
Thomas’ trek back to the NBA hasn’t gone unnoticed.
While the 32-year-old has crisscrossed the country this summer, several teams have kept an eye on him.
His performance in Seattle is only his most recent effort this summer.
At Drew League in Los Angeles, another popular summer pro-am, Thomas poured in 37 points earlier this summer.
After that, he scored 65 at the Atlanta Entertainment Basketball League (AEBL) Pro and Youth Summer League.
While none of these runs often feature current NBA talent, they’re usually populated by former Division I alums and good basketball players.
Thomas’ summer circuit has piqued the interests of teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, who are looking to fill out the remainder of their roster.
According to Marc Stein, the Lakers are looking for additional backcourt punch as well as wing depth, so a reunion with Thomas is not out of the question.
The guard did play alongside LeBron James in Cleveland for a 15-game stretch in 2017-18.
Thomas continues to work his way back into form following arthroscopic surgery on his right hip.
Stein also reported the Celtics had internal discussions regarding Thomas before ultimately coming to an agreement with free agent guard Dennis Schröder.
The peak of Thomas’ career came while playing in Boston under Brad Stevens.
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