"Changed my life"- Isaiah Thomas expresses gratitude towards retiring Andy Murray for hip surgery advice
Before his untimely hip injury, Isaiah Thomas was viewed as one of the most electric guards in the NBA. The process of returning to the league has been challenging for Thomas. With iconic tennis player Andy Murray announcing his retirement, Thomas expressed his gratitude for the hip surgery advice Murray gave him.
The former Celtics guard sustained a hip injury on March 15, 2017, in a regular season game against the Timberwolves. Despite Thomas finishing the season and playing in most of the team's postseason run, he would re-aggravate his hip in both the Semi and Conference Finals.
On May 21, 2021, he underwent a successful procedure on his hip before briefly playing with the New Orleans Pelicans on a 10-day contract. Thomas shouted Murray out on X, formerly known as "Twitter."
"Legend! Changed my life by telling me to go get the resurface surgery on my hip that he got," Thomas posted. "Forever grateful."
Injuries are common for professional athletes. Finding someone who underwent the same kind of pain became a helpful part of Isaiah Thomas' recovery process. Despite not securing an NBA deal, the former Suns guard remembered the retiring Andy Murray fondly for his helpful advice that benefitted him to this day.
Isaiah Thomas remains optimistic about NBA return
The last time Thomas played in the league was with the Suns on April 20 against the Timberwolves in Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs, logging four minutes of action.
Before joining Phoenix, the two-time All-Star shared his optimistic view on a future NBA comeback, during an interview with the Utah Jazz's "Roundball Roundup" podcast.
"Before I loved anything, I loved basketball," Thomas said. "... obviously I've been really good at it since I was a young, but everything about the game of basketball I loved, and I know until that goes away like I'm going to give it everything I have. No matter if it's in the G League, back in the NBA — because I know I will be back there at some point ..."
Isaiah Thomas has played in over 16 seasons with a career averaging 17.5 points on 43.4% shooting, including 36.3% from beyond the arc, 4.8 assists, and 2.4 rebounds per game.
Despite his size, the 5'9 guard, Thomas was known as one of the most prominent scoring guards at his peak. With his age and history of injuries, Thomas has not been the same since reaching the heights of his career.
However, his struggle to remain long-term with an NBA team has not deterred his process as he remains ready for any opportunity that comes his way.