Some players are unable to give up on their NBA comeback hopes even if age isn\u2019t on their side.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A former Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> guard and two-time All-Star falls into that category<\/a>, as he isn\u2019t ready to call it quits at age 36.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI want to be able to put on a jersey and mentally end it on my own,\u201d Isaiah Thomas told the Boston Globe\u2019s Gary Washburn last Saturday.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI feel that good, and I know I\u2019m able to produce for a team, whether it\u2019s on the floor or whether it\u2019s a veteran presence in the locker room. Ultimately, my No. 1 goal is to get back in. I\u2019m staying ready but also figuring out things that are happening throughout my life that are positive as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Thomas, who’s been vocal about a possible return to the NBA on multiple occasions, hasn\u2019t competed in an NBA contest since April 2020 (Phoenix Suns<\/a>). The Washington product was once a must-see Boston Celtics<\/a> star perceived as the franchise\u2019s cornerstone player.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, injury concerns and height (5-foot-9) made retaining Thomas beyond the 2016-17 campaign impossible, resulting in a blockbuster offseason trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Thomas didn\u2019t last a full season alongside LeBron James in Cleveland, as the franchise traded him to the Lakers midway through the year.\u00a0<\/p>\n While inefficient, the former second-round pick contributed 15.6 points and 5.0 assists per game in 17 outings with Los Angeles.\u00a0<\/p>\n Thomas enjoyed stints with the Denver Nuggets<\/a>, Washington Wizards<\/a>, and New Orleans Pelicans<\/a> after the 2017-18 season, before returning to the Lakers in 2021 for a second stint.\u00a0<\/p>\n This time, the Tacoma, Washington product only averaged 9.3 points and 1.5 assists in four outings. Thomas has only appeared in 46 contests since then.\u00a0<\/p>\n Still, with Thomas being determined to play another season in the big leagues and multiple franchises needing a veteran presence off the bench, the former standout point guard could soon change his NBA status.<\/p>\n