The Boston Celtics have had many household and essential players who have played a role in what they’ve become today.
The Celtics are arguably the best franchise not only in all of basketball but also in all of sports. Boston is a rich town with a rich history, and their sports teams are no exception.
While the Celtics are all about titles, there was a stretch that captivated the entire town, specifically when former All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas made his name with the Celtics.
Thomas joined the Celtics after the 2015 trade deadline and made a name for himself, and then some. His time in Boston may have been short, but it was certainly memorable.
The Washington product recently came back where his career took off and shared that moment on X.
Isaiah Thomas is at the Auerbach Center today! https://t.co/MZzBX5gUDf
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) November 17, 2025
More news: Celtics Star Sends Clear Message on Next Goal After Career Season
Thomas didn’t only come back to Boston to revisit old memories, but he returned to the city to be honored.
Thomas was honored at the Sports Museum’s The Tradition. The museum in Boston honors a host of sports legends at the event. Players, no matter the sport, like Bill Russell, Ted Williams, David Ortiz, Martina Navratilova, Jack Nicklaus, Larry Bird, Ray Bourque, Doug Flutie, and Red Auerbach, to name a few, have been honored at the museum.
In an interview with Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe, Thomas shared that he was surprised by the call to be honored.
“When I was selected, I was honored and I was surprised,” Thomas told the Globe on Monday. “What is this going on eight years after [I left]? It’s super dope to get the memo and for people to explain to me what the award was. It was super cool, [I’m] thankful and I’m honored. To read on the history on the past guys who have accepted the award, it’s really legendary people in the city.”
Thomas spent a little over two seasons with the Celtics, delivering the best stretch of his NBA career. Across 179 games in Boston, he averaged 24.7 points, 6.0 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.0 steal per game, shooting 44.3 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from deep while logging 32.2 minutes a night.
More news: Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla Sends Message on Controversial Rotation Decision vs 76ers
During that run, the now 36-year-old earned back-to-back All-Star nods and made the All-NBA Second Team in 2016–17, a season in which he also finished top five in MVP voting. He helped carry Boston to the Eastern Conference Finals that year before the Celtics fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games.
A beloved fan favorite, Thomas was traded in the summer of 2017 in the blockbuster deal that sent him, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and an unprotected 2018 first-round pick from the Brooklyn Nets to the Cavaliers in exchange for Kyrie Irving.
Although he was there for only a short time, Thomas’ impact on the team and the city is unlike any other.
Latest Celtics News
For more news and notes on the Boston Celtics, visit Boston Celtics on SI.