Isaiah Thomas to appear on cover of ESPN’s ‘Body Issue’
Isaiah Thomas has been undersized and thus underestimated for as long as he can recall. But the you’re-too-small-to-make-it skepticism from outsiders has served as fuel in what has become one of the remarkable NBA success stories of his generation.
Thomas, listed at 5 feet 9 inches, averaged 28.9 points per game this season while leading the Celtics to the top seed in the Eastern Conference and a deep playoff run. In ESPN’s upcoming annual Body Issue, which features Thomas on the cover, he explains how he has used his size – or lack of it, at least by NBA measures – to his advantage.
“When I tell people that [being the smallest guy on the court gives him an edge], they always look at me like I’m crazy,’’ he said. “But Gary Payton, years ago, told me that “the guy that’s lowest to the ground usually always wins.’’ All of the small guys who played before me and who’ve played during my time, they’ve been special in their own way. I think that’s the difference between the small guys and the giants out there: When you’re small, you’ve got to be special in some way, somehow.’’
Thomas tells the Magazine that his achievements would be magnified and celebrated more if he were a conventionally sized player. That may or may not be the case – he is a wildly popular Celtic in part because it is enjoyable to watch a smaller player dominate the big guys – but it’s clear that the belief motivates him.
“I mean, the things that I’m doing — if I were 6-5 or 6-6, it would be magnified even more, talked about even more,’’ he said. “And that’s how it’s been my whole career — my whole life. I’ve never been given a fair shake, even to this day. I always say nothing’s been given to me; I always took what I believe is mine, and I always took advantage of the opportunity that I’ve got. And not to put anything against the bigger guys, but for the most part, they’re handed a lot. Us little guys in the gutter, we’re not handed anything. We’re not given the benefit of the doubt. They always overlook us.’’
Thomas’s biggest slight might have come during the 2011 NBA Draft, when he was the 60th and final player chosen, by the Sacramento Kings. He said he’s mostly moved on from that one, but acknowledges it was a huge motivator during his early days in the league.
“Being the last pick of the draft doesn’t cross my mind anymore,’’ he said. “But during my first few years, I was like, ‘Man, I’m about to kill this team’ because I was holding it against them.’’
