Isaiah Thomas was brought to tears by a thunderous ovation Monday night in Boston, as Celtics fans cheered during a video tribute to their popular former point guard.
Thomas said he needed that kind of love, given all that he’s been through since becoming a bonafide star in Beantown.
IT suited up for 6:50 of playing time following three consecutive DNPs, and the Denver Nuggets clinched a playoff berth with a 114-105 win.
Per The Boston Herald:
“That was… that was special,” Thomas said later after Denver’s 114-105 win. “I wish my family was here to see that, but they watched it. That was emotional. I almost cried. That was everything. I appreciate them for doing that. That meant a lot.
“I got my college jersey retired. That was big. But this is, like, you can’t describe that feeling. I mean, my teammates felt that, and they wasn’t a part of that. It was big-time. I appreciate them for doing that. That meant a lot.”
Well before all this — before the affection rained all over the 5-foot-9 spark that grew into an All-Star with the Celtics — Thomas jokingly crashed into the back of a local reporter, then stood against a wall in the west lobby before a congregation of cameras, microphones, recorders and pens.
He spoke of his earlier conversation with Brad Stevens and added, “It’s good to see all these guys in person and just get that love. Like right now I need that love. I mean, I’ve been through so much these last two years, and then coming back and then getting out of the rotation, all those things. But at the end of the day, I’m human. So like getting love and genuine love always feels good for the body, for the mind, for everything. So I’m glad to be back. I’m glad to be around familiar faces. And Brad’s one of my favorite people in the world, so it’s always good to be able to talk to him and see him in person.
“It’s always good to back. This feels like home, so it’s always good to be in the city of Boston and to be in TD Garden. And I’m just happy to be back and around familiar faces and to really get that genuine real love.”
