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Isaiah Thomas signs 10-day contract with Lakers after 42-point outburst in G-League debut
"He’s one of those guys that if he can play every day, he will."
Former Celtics star Isaiah Thomas followed up his 42-point outburst in his G-League debut with more good news: A 10-day contract with the Lakers, per The Athletic‘s Shams Charania.
The Lakers signed Thomas under the hardship exception, given to teams who have at least four players sick or injured for longer than two weeks.
Thomas told Charania in a video posted on Tuesday that he thought he was close to signing with the Lakers before Rajon Rondo was bought out in the preseason. Now he has a chance to prove he belongs.
“I know at some point, my opportunity will come and I’m going to take full advantage of it and I’m going to run with it,” Thomas said. “I’ve never cheated the game, not once. I know it’s going to come back around, and when it does I’m going to have a smile on my face.”
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Thomas said he is fully healthy again after undergoing a hip procedure, a relief after years of chronic pain.
“Not just basketball pain, and going to the gym to workout or play, every day all day I was just in constant pain,” Thomas said. “So when I got the procedure last May 2020, it changed my life. It changed my everyday life.”
At Celtics practice on Thursday — prior to the news that Thomas signed with the Lakers — Al Horford was asked about his former teammate’s debut in the G-League.
“I haven’t been in touch with IT,” Horford said. “I caught up with him earlier in the summer but I haven’t talked to him since.
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“But him playing with Team USA, him going to the G League, IT loves to play the game. He loves to play basketball. He’s one of those guys that if he can play every day, he will. That’s just his love for the game. So I’m very happy to see him doing well and showing that he can still play.”
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