IT appreciation thread...Thanks for the memories

[Froob]

I remember watching IT play when he was with the Kings. I kept thinking man, this guy can play. I rather have him than Rondo any day. He was playing like an all star at the time. He just kept getting better. At one point, he put up 20 and 6 for the Kings during his last season there.

When Ainge traded for him, I was so happy. I knew right away that he would make the Celtics a lot better. The Suns at the time had 3 really good PGs with Bledsoe, Thomas and Dragic. That had no idea what they were doing with their roster.

When Thomas came to Boston, I knew he would be a starter again like in his Kings days in no time. I knew he would start playing at an all star level, especially after hearing Ainge telling him that he has a chance to be a Celtic legend.

Thomas, in his short time here became just that, a Celtic legend. He played better than I expected. He kept on getting better and better. He also played with a lot of passion and heart and made the Celtics relevant again. It was easy to route for Thomas. He became one of my favorite Celtic players of all time. Not to mention, he had the best offensive year for a Celtic player since Larry Bird.

What a player. Thank you IT!

Remember how Pogue Mahone in particular used to always beat the drum that Isaiah Thomas in Sacramento is the exact same player as overrated Kyrie Irving? That was one of his cause celebres. Now we've traded him for Kyrie Irving.

Oh that was Pogue, remembered that as Cave for some reason. That makes more sense.

[London2Boston]

I mean, I.T is a reason we have Hayward,Horford and Kyrie and a reason why we became a destination for players again. Even if you prefer Kyrie and thought IT was over rated, then at least respect the man for those reasons alone then.

[UHar_Vinnie]

Come back in a year or two as a Sixth Man (at a Sixth Man price)! Didn't want a 5'9" scoring PG, but made me a fan.

[KGboss]

I watched that press conference and IT was fighting back tears the whole time. He is hating this and I feel real bad about it even tho I personally have zero to do with any of it.

[Captain_Caveman]

I mean, I.T is a reason we have Hayward,Horford and Kyrie and a reason why we became a destination for players again. Even if you prefer Kyrie and thought IT was over rated, then at least respect the man for those reasons alone then.

I don't know if I buy that. There were other ways to get here or somewhere similar.

[jmr07019]

Article hit me right in the feels. TY for everything IT. I remember being upset when we traded for IT because it hurt our tank haha. Took me all of 5 games to fall in love with the way he played and say, in the words of Isaiah, man F the lottery. Wish the dude nothing but the best.

[Jakeopp]

I mean, I.T is a reason we have Hayward,Horford and Kyrie and a reason why we became a destination for players again. Even if you prefer Kyrie and thought IT was over rated, then at least respect the man for those reasons alone then.

I tend to buy into this opinion.

Does Al Horford sign with a Celtics team without IT? I don't think he signs with a losing team. I guess it depends on whether or not you think IT is largely responsible for our success the last few years.

A year after that, I don't think Hayward signs with us if we're irrelevant.

[cloverleaf]

IT was great here, despite the Brinks truck slippers and other similar BS.

And though his "letter" was indulgent--he sure wouldn't have liked it better if Danny had simply said, "I traded you, goodbye" and hung up the phone--I was with him until he tried to make it sound like owners being able to trade players was some sort of great civil rights injustice still to be rectified.

The dude has been paid $10s of millions of dollars in his 20s for being an entertainer. One aspect of signing such deals--whether you are black or white or anything else--in most major pro sports leagues is that you can be "traded" so as to make the entertainment a better and more popular product for its customers.

Lots of entertainers the world over have to travel or move in order to make the big (or little) bucks, and the idea that this is somehow tragically unfair is IMO pathetic. Worst case, his congenital hip issue will wind down his career having made in the 10s of millions instead of crossing over into the hundreds of millions. Unfortunate, but really nothing compared to the situation of the other almost 8 million humans on the planet.

His point wasn't as much as it being an injustice as it was about fan's treatment. His point was that it makes no sense to be okay with whatever the owner does but than hate on players for taking ownership of their own career.

I was fine with that point (and agree with it), but then he took it to this:

"Just being honest, but — to me, that says a lot about where we are as a league, and even as a society. And it says a lot about how far we still have to go."

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/isaiah-thomas-trade-celtics-cavaliers/

[ConstableGeneva]

I mean, I.T is a reason we have Hayward,Horford and Kyrie and a reason why we became a destination for players again. Even if you prefer Kyrie and thought IT was over rated, then at least respect the man for those reasons alone then.

Yep, this is no longer a hypothetical. This is how it went down. Part of Celtics history, if you will. If Cs ever win a banner with Kyrie-Hayward, that short transition era helped us to get there. While I give most of the credit to Ainge/Stevens, IT was a big part of that rebuild period.

[Parliament10]

I mean, I.T is a reason we have Hayward,Horford and Kyrie and a reason why we became a destination for players again. Even if you prefer Kyrie and thought IT was over rated, then at least respect the man for those reasons alone then.

Yep, this is no longer a hypothetical. This is how it went down. Part of Celtics history, if you will. If Cs ever win a banner with Kyrie-Hayward, that short transition era helped us to get there. While I give most of the credit to Ainge/Stevens, IT was a big part of that rebuild period.

Damn Straight.

It could have been done w/o Ainge. Maybe even w/o Stevens.
But Isaiah Thomas. He actually Physically did it. -- IJS

[Taget]

Article hit me right in the feels. TY for everything IT. I remember being upset when we traded for IT because it hurt our tank haha. Took me all of 5 games to fall in love with the way he played and say, in the words of Isaiah, man F the lottery. Wish the dude nothing but the best.

Once upon a time folks were hating him for ruining our chances to get Justise Winslow!

[return2glory]

I mean, I.T is a reason we have Hayward,Horford and Kyrie and a reason why we became a destination for players again. Even if you prefer Kyrie and thought IT was over rated, then at least respect the man for those reasons alone then.

Not sure how anyone can think a player making $6 million a year, who made 2nd team All-NBA, who had the best offensive season in Celtic history since Larry Bird can be considered overrated. Thomas, was underrated.

An overachiever? Yes! Overrated, no way.

[return2glory]

We got a good coach y'all.

Read on Twitter

Brad Stevens a good coach? Lol. He is a great coach. I've said for the past 3 years that he is a top 3 coach. But now IMO, it's Brad and coach Pop in any order as the best 2 coaches in the game.

And let's remember it was coach Pop, who said a few years ago that he still goes back and watches Brad Stevens films when he was a Butler. Just to pick up some pointers. That's the ultimate compliment in the coaching world, coming from coach Pop.

[ConstableGeneva]

We got a good coach y'all.

Read on Twitter

Brad Stevens a good coach? Lol. He is a great coach. I've said for the past 3 years that he is a top 3 coach. But now IMO, it's Brad and coach Pop in any order as the best 2 coaches in the game.

And let's remember it was coach Pop, who said a few years ago that he still goes back and watches Brad Stevens films when he was a Butler. Just to pick up some pointers. That's the ultimate compliment in the coaching world, coming from coach Pop.

Good -- meaning kind, compassionate, thoughtful, capable of empathy, etc.

I don't disagree that he's a great coach.

[Jakeopp]

We got a good coach y'all.

Read on Twitter

Brad Stevens a good coach? Lol. He is a great coach. I've said for the past 3 years that he is a top 3 coach. But now IMO, it's Brad and coach Pop in any order as the best 2 coaches in the game.

And let's remember it was coach Pop, who said a few years ago that he still goes back and watches Brad Stevens films when he was a Butler. Just to pick up some pointers. That's the ultimate compliment in the coaching world, coming from coach Pop.

Way too early to be putting him near Pop's level, hasn't even been to a finals yet.

[OldCeltics]

One thing I'll miss is IT's personality.

[return2glory]

We got a good coach y'all.

Read on Twitter

Brad Stevens a good coach? Lol. He is a great coach. I've said for the past 3 years that he is a top 3 coach. But now IMO, it's Brad and coach Pop in any order as the best 2 coaches in the game.

And let's remember it was coach Pop, who said a few years ago that he still goes back and watches Brad Stevens films when he was a Butler. Just to pick up some pointers. That's the ultimate compliment in the coaching world, coming from coach Pop.

Way too early to be putting him near Pop's level, hasn't even been to a finals yet.

True but at the same time he hasn't had anywhere near the talent as Pop's teams.

[Afam]

I mean, I.T is a reason we have Hayward,Horford and Kyrie and a reason why we became a destination for players again. Even if you prefer Kyrie and thought IT was over rated, then at least respect the man for those reasons alone then.

I don't know if I buy that. There were other ways to get here or somewhere similar.

Isaiah Thomas is the main reason free agents started to take a look at boston as a free agent destination. If the celtics were still a lottery team, Kevin Durant wouldn't have visited here. Al Horford wouldn't have signed with the celtics etc. No good free agent is signing with a lottery team cap space or not.

Isaiah Thomas helped turn the celtics into a free agent destination instantly. I prefer Kyrie Irving over Isaiah Thomas, but you have to give credit where it is due. Isaiah Thomas helped recurit free agents to boston, and was successful and at least deserves some credit for it.

[yeahM8]

Plot twist

Kyries value pumped traded for Davis in offseason and we resign a healthy Isaiah

[Tiny ball]

We got a good coach y'all.

Read on Twitter

Brad Stevens a good coach? Lol. He is a great coach. I've said for the past 3 years that he is a top 3 coach. But now IMO, it's Brad and coach Pop in any order as the best 2 coaches in the game.

And let's remember it was coach Pop, who said a few years ago that he still goes back and watches Brad Stevens films when he was a Butler. Just to pick up some pointers. That's the ultimate compliment in the coaching world, coming from coach Pop.

The Heats coach is right there.. I bet he gets lots more out of less. I think he is bit better than Brad.