Isaiah Thomas Says Celtics Should Have Been Up Front With Him About Hip Injury

[RealGM Wiretap]

Isaiah Thomas said he doesn't have any ill-will towards the Boston Celtics from the way his time there ended. However, Thomas said the Celtics could have handled things better.

"The thing that hurt the most was that nothing was explained to me. If you tell me, 'This can possibly get worse, this is what you have,' then it’s on me to make the choice. But it was none of that stated," Thomas said. "I was just going in like, 'Okay, I got a bone bruise, I can figure this out like I’ve done my whole life.' They shot me up to go into the Wizards series, I got shot up three times, every round. The last one was right before Game 7 of the Wizards series. Then in Game 2 of the Cleveland series, I get hit by a screen, and it just shoots to the back of my hip, and I’m like, 'What the [heck]?'"

Despite the rocky ending to his Boston tenure, Thomas said he still thinks highly of everyone with the Celtics.

"It took me three years to really get back to who I am and figure out what was going on. But it was a tough situation," Thomas said. "It was a learning experience for myself. I got real love for Boston and everybody in that organization, but it was definitely the wrong way to go about things."

Via Knuckleheads Podcast

[Kent]

You don't normally see this kind of sentiment in this situation. It's refreshing.

I'm happy for IT. Holding on to grudges can be worse than the stemming event itself.

Good for him.

[hyberx]

He got screwed by Danny Ainge.

[xchange55]

I'm sure IT holds no grudge because he agreed to and wanted to play. He was after a big payday and he was lighting it up when the injury first occurred. In any sport, you either get the medical clearance or you don't. Even if you get cleared, it doens't mean you can't get injured.

[Pickled Prunes]

I'm sure IT holds no grudge because he agreed to and wanted to play. He was after a big payday and he was lighting it up when the injury first occurred. In any sport, you either get the medical clearance or you don't. Even if you get cleared, it doens't mean you can't get injured.

He is suggesting that the BOS training staff wasn't being forthright with his diagnosis. I obviously don't know if this is true, but if it is true IT's decision to play was based on false or incomplete information.

[xchange55]

I'm sure IT holds no grudge because he agreed to and wanted to play. He was after a big payday and he was lighting it up when the injury first occurred. In any sport, you either get the medical clearance or you don't. Even if you get cleared, it doens't mean you can't get injured.

He is suggesting that the BOS training staff wasn't being forthright with his diagnosis. I obviously don't know if this is true, but if it is true IT's decision to play was based on false or incomplete information.

Just look at his own quote - he says a contact play is what ended up putting him on the shelf. Any player knows they can get hurt on any play. How is the staff supposed to guide or predict that? It's just common sense if you have a recurring injury in one area it's more likely to be susceptible for further injury. Only way to prevent futher injury from the basketball court is to stay off it.

It's just bad luck for IT pure and simple.

[WiggOuts]

He wanted them to back up that brinks truck and he played through something most people wouldn't. The guy wanted to get paid, that was his main priority. These comments he's making is him blaming BOS. People say he isn't holding a grudge but it sounds like that's exactly what he's doing. I think he just doesn't want to "seem" like he is lol

[hyberx]

I'm sure IT holds no grudge because he agreed to and wanted to play. He was after a big payday and he was lighting it up when the injury first occurred. In any sport, you either get the medical clearance or you don't. Even if you get cleared, it doens't mean you can't get injured.

He is suggesting that the BOS training staff wasn't being forthright with his diagnosis. I obviously don't know if this is true, but if it is true IT's decision to play was based on false or incomplete information.

Just look at his own quote - he says a contact play is what ended up putting him on the shelf. Any player knows they can get hurt on any play. How is the staff supposed to guide or predict that? It's just common sense if you have a recurring injury in one area it's more likely to be susceptible for further injury. Only way to prevent futher injury from the basketball court is to stay off it.

It's just bad luck for IT pure and simple.

No, wrong. If your trainer tells you the truth and that you'd get hurt 80% of the time on some contact, it's totally different than they telling you there's a 8% chance of injury when it comes to your decision to playing. IT's point is they weren't honest with him, thus impacted his decision to play which ended up in injury and screwed his big pay day. If he sat the whole time, then he'd get paid big time for sure based on his previous performance.

[LakersLegacy]

I'm sure IT holds no grudge because he agreed to and wanted to play. He was after a big payday and he was lighting it up when the injury first occurred. In any sport, you either get the medical clearance or you don't. Even if you get cleared, it doens't mean you can't get injured.

He is suggesting that the BOS training staff wasn't being forthright with his diagnosis. I obviously don't know if this is true, but if it is true IT's decision to play was based on false or incomplete information.

Bill Walton went to Boston after suing Trailblazers. The NBA was to ensure it never occurred again. Ironic Celtics did the same thing to IT that TrailBlazers did to Bill

[Pickled Prunes]

He is suggesting that the BOS training staff wasn't being forthright with his diagnosis. I obviously don't know if this is true, but if it is true IT's decision to play was based on false or incomplete information.

Just look at his own quote - he says a contact play is what ended up putting him on the shelf. Any player knows they can get hurt on any play. How is the staff supposed to guide or predict that? It's just common sense if you have a recurring injury in one area it's more likely to be susceptible for further injury. Only way to prevent futher injury from the basketball court is to stay off it.

It's just bad luck for IT pure and simple.

No, wrong. If your trainer tells you the truth and that you'd get hurt 80% of the time on some contact, it's totally different than they telling you there's a 8% chance of injury when it comes to your decision to playing. IT's point is they weren't honest with him, thus impacted his decision to play which ended up in injury and screwed his big pay day. If he sat the whole time, then he'd get paid big time for sure based on his previous performance.

Correct, that is the point IT was making. I'm not taking a side since I wasn't there, but he definitely could have guaranteed his payday by sitting out. It's also safe t assume that he believed BOS would do right by him if he was injured.

What I will say is that IT would have had better care and a better recovery if he was on a long term deal with a team. He had to rush back to prove he could still play a contract year, ultimately getting hurt further. On a long term deal he might have taken a year off, got surgery and worked his way back into shape. The timing of the injury was absolutely unfortunate!

[Lava Rock Kid]

Danny Ainge doing Danny Ainge things. I can’t believe Utah hired him to destroy the jazz

[niha17]

why does this guy have a platform to complain non stop go away

[xchange55]

No, wrong. If your trainer tells you the truth and that you'd get hurt 80% of the time on some contact, it's totally different than they telling you there's a 8% chance of injury when it comes to your decision to playing. IT's point is they weren't honest with him, thus impacted his decision to play which ended up in injury and screwed his big pay day. If he sat the whole time, then he'd get paid big time for sure based on his previous performance.

That's not even close to how a medical evaluation is performed. This isn't the lottery where the odds are fixed and non-dipustable. "On some contact" - what does that even mean? I could barely brush you or collide into you with 210-250lb of force - big differecne between "some contact". Again, any player in any condition can get hurt on any play. Everyone who plays the game knows this.