SUMMARY
- Isaiah Thomas, known for his exceptional basketball skills, has had a successful career despite standing at 5 feet 9 inches, shorter than the average NBA player.
- Thomas's early passion for basketball was influenced by his father.
Isaiah Thomas, renowned for his outstanding skills on the basketball court, has always stood out because of his height, which is shorter than the average NBA player. Born on February 7 1989 in Tacoma, Washington, Thomas has made it to the sport which is dominated by tall players. Standing at 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m), he may not have the height advantage, but his impressive wingspan of 1.87 meters and a vertical jump of 32 inches have played a crucial role in his storied career.
Thomas’s early love for basketball was greatly influenced by his father, who was a big fan of the Los Angeles Lakers. Thomas developed his skills at Curtis Senior High School in Washington and South Kent School in Connecticut, repeating his senior year to improve his grades for a scholarship.
His college career (2008-2011) started at the University of Washington. Thomas was a three-time all-conference selection in the Pac-10 and made a huge impact from his freshman year. Thomas averaged 15.5 points, 2.6 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game as a freshman, which increased to 16.9 points in sophomore year. In his junior year he made a game-winning buzzer-beater in the Pac-10 tournament championship.
Declaring for the NBA draft in 2011, Thomas left college with an impressive record. However, his height often gets compared with Tyrone “Muggsy” Bogues, the shortest player in NBA history, who is 5 feet 3 inches.
Isaiah Thomas was selected by the Sacramento Kings in the 2011 NBA draft
Thomas was selected in the second round of the 2011 NBA draft with the 60th and final pick by the Sacramento Kings. He quickly made a name for himself in the rookie season by winning the Western Conference NBA Rookie of the Month twice. Thomas averaged 15.3 points, 4.8 assists, and 2.5 rebounds in 216 games for the Kings.
In 2014, Thomas moved to the Phoenix Suns but his time with the Suns was short, as he was traded to the Boston Celtics in 2015. It was with the Celtics that Thomas took things to the next level, becoming a two-time NBA All-Star and a top scorer. His performance in the 2016–17 season, leading the Celtics to the top seed in the Eastern Conference and finishing fifth in MVP voting, was a career highlight.
Despite these setbacks, Thomas continued playing for the Grand Rapids Gold of the NBA G League and then returned to the NBA with the Charlotte Hornets in March 2022. In 17 games with the Hornets, Thomas averaged 8.3 points per game on 43.3% shooting and 39.7% shooting from beyond the three-point line.