Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Former NBA All-Star Isaiah Thomas was able to firmly put himself on the map during his stint with the Boston Celtics, but upon learning of the trade that sent him there, he wasn’t happy about being ripped away from the city of Phoenix.
Thomas began the 2014-15 campaign with the Phoenix Suns and evidently fell in love with living there. But before he was even able to spend an entire season with the Suns, the Celtics acquired him in a deal that ultimately changed the trajectory of his career.
Thomas quickly became a fan favorite in Boston and played some of the best basketball of his career there. He earned two All-Star selections with the Celtics, and during the 2016-17 season, he averaged 28.9 points per game while helping the squad earn the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The 5-foot-9 guard ultimately spent over two seasons with the Celtics before being traded away to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a deal that brought Kyrie Irving to Boston. Thomas and the Celtics went to the playoffs every year during their partnership, although the team never reached the NBA Finals during his stint there.
Thomas’ career started to take a different form in the years that followed his Celtics stint, with the former second-round pick becoming a journeyman while seeing his production decrease. He last played in the NBA in the 2021-22 season with the Charlotte Hornets.
Thomas is still looking to get back into the league, though that’s proving to be a difficult goal for him. At 34 years old, he’s likely aware that a return to the NBA would need to happen sooner than later. Time will tell if it’s in the cards.
It’s clear that the city of Phoenix left a strong impression on him. He only appeared in 46 games for the Suns but was a solid piece for them, averaging 15.2 points per game along the way.
Thomas has seen action for 10 NBA teams — all from different cities — but even after all these years, it’s Phoenix that sticks out in his mind as his favorite city he got to live in.
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