10 inspirational Isaiah Thomas quotes on never letting small size keep him from big success
"I don’t feel small. I feel as big as everybody else."
At 5’9″, or maybe 5’8″, Isaiah Thomas is currently the shortest active player in the NBA.
Although his height may have been seen as a disadvantage by some throughout his life — the first weakness listed on his 2011 NBA Draft prospect profile was “size”– Thomas has never seemed fazed by his small stature.
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Even when he wasn’t averaging nearly 30 points per game, Thomas has remained confident about his ability to compete with anyone.
Here are several notable quotes from the two-time All-Star about his height over the course of his six seasons in the NBA:
2011
On why he thinks he wasn’t drafted higher than the 60th pick overall:
It was one thing: It was my height,” Thomas said. “I promise you that’s the only thing. There were guards in this draft that I felt like I was better than, that I outplayed, that I outworked, but the height scared them away. Hopefully, in the years to come, I can show them that my height isn’t the problem. (Yahoo)
On what goes through his mind when people say he’s too small to succeed in the NBA:
Put me out against anybody, and I’ll show you I’m not too small. It’s been all my life with people saying I was too small, and I have overcome that to this point. In the NBA today, you don’t see guys posting up point guards like Gary Payton used to do back in the day. It’s a wide-open game. So I can really use my height to my advantage. (Hoops Hype)
2012
In a post-game interview with the Kings:
Grant Napear: You talk about energy. That’s the one thing you bring each and every time you’re on the floor. That’s what you live by. That’s your bread and butter, isn’t it?
Thomas: I’m 5’8″, so I gotta bring something.
2013
On how tough it was to make a name for himself:
It was very tough but every chance I got, whether it be the last two minutes of a blowout win or loss or if I got in [the game] in the first half, I was just going to make the most of my opportunity. I was going to play as hard as I possibly could and make a difference. And let it be known that I should be on the floor. (SLAMonline)
On how he wants people to remember his legacy:
I want to be the best little guy to ever play. (SLAMonline)
2014
On what allows him to be able to finish at the rim better than taller guys:
It’s just something I’ve learned to do since I was a little boy. I’m always going in there and finishing around the giants. It’s something that I gotta do as a small guard.
I can’t really tell ’em how I do it … One thing I definitely do, I go in there with no fear. (SB Nation)
2015
On how he wants people to feel when they watch him play:
When I was out on the floor, I wanted to make people be like, ‘Man, why isn’t that guy playing more?’ (Boston Globe)
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2016
On what bothers him in the NBA:
A guy scores on me, and it’s like, ‘Oh, he’s too small, a liability.’ A guy scores on a 6-2 guy, and it’s like, ‘That was a good shot.’ (New York Times)
On whether or not the chip on his shoulder is getting smaller due to his recent success:
It’s honestly getting bigger. For some reason people think this is a fluke. I’ve never been given anything. I’ve earned everything. I’m going to make sure my team continues to win and the next thing is trying to lead a team to a championship. It sounds far-fetched right now but making the All-Star Game sounded far-fetched to some people. (SB Nation)
2017
On how he feels about his size:
Honestly, I don’t see height. I just, I figure out a way. I’ve been doing it my whole life. I’ve been the smallest player on every court I’ve ever been on in my life. But I don’t feel small. I feel as big as everybody else. (Sports Illustrated)
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