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All-Stars Sing Praise for Thomas in Toronto

Marc D'Amico
Team Reporter and Analyst

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TORONTO – Celtics fans sang happy birthday to Isaiah Thomas as he stood at the free-throw line Sunday afternoon at TD Garden.

Five days later, NBA All-Stars were singing praise to him at NBA All-Star weekend in Toronto.

All 24 members of the East and West All-Star teams met with the media for about 45 minutes on Friday afternoon at the Sheraton Centre’s Grand Ballroom. Each player who was asked about Thomas gushed admiration in their response.

James Harden and DeMarcus Cousins, arguably the two best players at their position in the NBA, have known Thomas for quite some time. Each relationship dates back to the players’ high school days.

Harden, who is 6-foot-5, might be the best player in the league when it comes to getting into the lane. He admits, however, that the 5-foot-9 Thomas isn’t too far behind him in that category.

“He’s crafty. He finds a way,” Harden said. “No matter what it is, he finds a way to get his shot off and get to where he wants to go. Not a lot of guys can do that. It doesn’t matter how tall you are, how short you are.”

Last season’s MVP runner-up said that he always knew Thomas had All-Star talent inside of him; it was just a matter of finding a place to let it out.

“Opportunity is what it’s about in this league,” said Harden. “Last year in Phoenix, coming off the bench, he still scored about 18 points a game. He had that ability. But now in Boston, they kind of gave him the key to just go out there and play his game and be aggressive.”

Cousins played alongside Thomas for three seasons with the Sacramento Kings. He has always been a fan of Thomas’ game, but he’s even more impressed by the way Thomas ticks. The big man admitted on Friday that Thomas, the player and the person, almost convinced him to attend the University of Washington instead of the University of Kentucky.

“It’s not even the talent that just makes him who he is. It’s his drive,” said Cousins, who showed more passion talking about Thomas than he did any other topic. “And I think that’s what separates him and makes him one of the elite smaller players in this league.”

Lengthy relationships aren’t required to be a fan of the speedy guard. Those who know Thomas only as an opponent appreciate him as well.

Take Chris Paul, for instance. The nine-time NBA All-Star went toe-to-toe with Thomas – and lost – during an epic battle Wednesday night at TD Garden. Paul is known as one of the great competitors in the game, yet he was the one who commended Thomas for the fire that burns in his belly.

“Isaiah is an unbelievable competitor,” Paul said, adding later that it is Thomas’ heart that fuels his success. “I thought he was going to be an All-Star last year, but I’m happy that now the rest of the league and the world gets to see how good he is.”

For those around the world who haven’t seen Thomas in action, they’ll be wowed by his ability to score against anyone and everyone in the NBA – 7-footers included.

Detroit’s Andre Drummond is one of those 7-footers and he, himself, is still trying to make sense of Thomas scores with such ease against the giants of our world.

“I still don’t understand it to this day, man. I don’t get it,” Drummond said with a mixture of frustration and awe. “I got cussed out a few times for him scoring on me. I’m like, ‘I don’t ever know when he’s going to shoot it because he’s so small, so when he shoots it, by the time it’s in the air, I’m like just jumping.’”

Drummond isn’t alone in that pool of defeat. As Thomas was outdueling Paul Wednesday night and forcing overtime against the Clippers, he went right at DeAndre Jordan time and time again. Thomas explained this afternoon that he hit one shot over the towering center despite not being able to see the basket. Jordan couldn’t believe it, as Thomas described.

“He said, ‘It’s unbelievable what you can do,’” Thomas recalled. Per Thomas, Jordan’s message continued with, “’I feel like I’m going to block all of your shots but somehow the ball goes in the hoop.’”

Thomas strikes awe into his opponents during the middle of games. It’s no wonder why everyone around the league is raving about him.

Thomas, for the first time in his five-year career, is soaking it all in and enjoying the moment with his unmistakable smile.

“I’ve never had that feeling,” he said, “so it’s different for me. But it shows that my peers respect what I do and it says a lot.

“I’m just excited to be here, and I’m thankful and appreciative.”