While fielding questions about the Boston Celtics’ upcoming matchup against the Golden State Warriors, Celtics veteran Al Horford was elated when asked about his former teammate Isaiah Thomas.
Thomas scored 42 points in his G-League debut for the Grand Rapids Gold.
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Al Horford Says Isaiah Thomas ‘Showing He Can Still Play’
After playing two seasons with Horford and the Celtics, the former 2017 MVP candidate and NBA journeyman was fighting to complete a comeback and drew one step closer to lamenting a new contract.
“I saw that he had like 42!” Horford yelped when Thomas’s name was mentioned during his media availability after practice Thursday. Al then offered his perspective on Thomas’ continuous drive over the years.
“I haven’t been in touch with IT. I caught up with him earlier in the summer,” Horford added. “I haven’t talked to him since but him playing with Team USA, him going to the G League; IT loves to play the game. He just loves to play basketball. He’s one of those guys that if he can play every day, he will, and that’s just his love for the game. So, I’m just happy to see him doing well and showing that he can still play.”
Isaiah Thomas Signs 10-Day Deal with Los Angeles Lakers
Thomas had a busy summer. Isaiah dropped 81 points in one pro-am, creating a buzz on social media. He made appearances at others, including the Atlanta Entertainment Basketball Pro and Youth League (AEBL), where he scored 65.
His latest stint with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2020-21 was also a 10-day contract. Thomas played 17 games for the Lakers back in 2018 before another brief stay with the Denver Nuggets the following season. In 2019-20, he averaged 12.2 points while shooting 41.2% from deep and 3.7 assists per game in 40 appearances for the Washington Wizards.
NBA insider Marc Stein reported the Thomas sightings peeked a potential Celtics reunion, which, of course, never materialized into an invitation to training camp. However, Isaiah will get his shot in light of agreeing to a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
The Thomas signing news broke hours after Horford’s press conference.
Al Horford on Steph Curry: ‘I’m Just Impressed’
The five-time All-Star was also asked about Warriors star Steph Curry’s phenomenal start to the regular season. Curry, 33, coming off one of the best seasons of his career — where he averaged a career-best 32 points per game — continues to ascend despite the fact he’s approaching 34-years-old.
“I’m just impressed. You can tell he’s doing a good job taking care of his body, lifting weights, treatment; all of those and he’s putting in the work,” Horford said. “He shows that you do all those things you can still play at a really high level. It’s been fun to watch him being able to do what he does and really setting the league on notice.”
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Celtics Veteran Reacts to Isaiah Thomas News: ‘He Had like 42!’