The Ringer NBA Show - Ep. 63: One-on-One With Isaiah Thomas

Episode Date: January 23, 2017

The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor is joined by Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas to discuss about his stellar 2016 (00:24), improving his step-back jumper (02:47), his thoughts during the draft (10:35), and what he learned from Kevin Garnett (15:28). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My name is Kevin O'Connor. I'm a writer at the ringer.com and welcome to the Ringer NBA show. Today, I'm at the Celtics practice facility in Wallham, Massachusetts, with Celtics starting point guard and soon to be two-time All-Star, Isaiah Thomas. Isaiah, welcome to the show. Oh, thank you for having me. I appreciate it. Isaiah, the past year has been pretty monumental for you. In 2016, you became an All-Star for the first time. You got married later that summer. Your kids are old enough to watch the games and enjoy it. You capped off the year with a 52 point performance. The list is endless.

Did you enjoy life in 2016 more than ever before? Yeah, it was a special year for myself, for my family, something I always dreamed of with all the things that happened in that year. And it was a blessing. It was a lot of positive things that happened, not just for me, but for this organization, for my family. And I look forward to 2017. You're averaging career highs across the board this season and points per game, three point

percentage, PER, the list goes on. You recently said that you're an MVP candidate right behind Westbrook and Harden. When you assess your own skill set, what are the differences that you observed between past years and this season? I'm just getting better overall. My overall game is getting better. Understanding the game of basketball at a higher level. I'm a year older and it's just all coming together for me.

with the opportunity, Brad, and this organization gives me to be myself. I'm just taking advantage of that opportunity. And I got so much more I can prove so much more a level, so many more levels I can, I can reach. I'm going to just keep, continue to work and never being satisfied. So the crazy stat with you this year is that you've scored 20 or more points in 25 consecutive games as of Friday and we're recording this on January 20th, which is one of the longest streaks over the last six seasons. Only Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Blake Griffin have had longer streaks. What are the steps you take to have that overall

level of efficiency as a player? My biggest thing is just staying consistent. I work tremendously hard on my craft. I'm consistent. I have a routine. And I think that translates to the games. I'm a consistent basketball player. You know what you're going to get out of me night in and night out, and I think that's going in the right direction and the right steps of being a really good basketball player. You mentioned the level of consistency it takes. Your footwork on the game-winning stepback jumper last weekend in Atlanta

was just filthy. The long elongated stride you took to get to the elbow, your level of body control, you've really mastered that move. What are the things you do in the gym? in order to perfect that type of move? Repetition. I mean, just getting more reps up at it, making it become easier.

And then it just comes muscle memory. I've worked in and I moved thousands of times. So it doesn't matter who's guarding me or what type of situation I'm in. I know I can get to that spot and get to my shot and get a nice release on my jump shot with doing that move because I've done it so many times.

You mentioned repetition, but is there like a step-by-step process where you might watch film of another player or film of yourself and then practice that specific move when you go out onto the court or something like along those lines? No, I just take what the defense gives me.

I think that's kind of overthinking the game a little bit too much. I know what spots I want to get to and not one man is going to stop me from getting to those spots. I mean, defenses are trying to stop. not just me, but other teammates on my team. So you just got to take what the defense gives you and be able to read and react.

And I think that's what I'm doing at a really good level right now is being able to read and react on what they're doing to me and what they're giving to me. You're averaging over 10 points per game in the fourth quarter of this season, which is the most of any player since 1996. You've received a lot of defensive attention late in games. What have you learned from the past two playoff series when you've received a lot of attention just like that. And how have you translated that to this season

when you are receiving quite a lot of attention from the defense to maintain your high level of efficiency? Just being more locked in. First three-quarters setting up, I guess setting up the table to what I want to do in that fourth quarter. So not showing them everything. And then when that fourth quarter starts just being ultra-aggressive, not just to score, but to make plays for my teammates.

And, you know, in the fourth quarter, guys are usually tired. Guys are usually fatigued and I'm and I want to treat the fourth quarter like it's the first quarter and be in the be Fully I guess fully I guess fully Ready for whatever the that quarter entails and I just I'm more locked in I mean I love that moment I want to embrace that moment of the fourth quarter and like I said The fourth quarter really isn't for everybody

I mean it's tighter situations it's It's, it means a little more. I mean, and the game is usually on the line a little more in that fourth quarter, and the great players embrace those moments. Do you have, I mean, I know a couple years ago, or even this past year, you mentioned Bruce Lee's B-water quote, and I think how you might carry there it around on your phone. Do you have like a pre-game meditation ritual or anything,

even during the games that gets you into that mindset that you need to get to? Not really. I just try to lock in as much as I can. not focus on anything else but other than doing what I can to help this team win that game. And whatever the task is at hand, I'm trying to knock that down and get a win. So different games, there's going to be different situations. But from mindset-wise, I just, I'm trying to win. I'm trying to lock in to be the best Isaiah Thomas I can be.

I'm trying to lock in to make plays, not just for myself but for my teammates. And we go from there because you never know what that game is. going to entail or what type of game you're going to have, but you can always give 110% effort and remain confident. One thing about me, no matter if I missed 10 or 15 shots, I feel like the next one's going in, and that's my confidence never wavers. Great players become legends by excelling in those clutch moments. You've talked to a lot of legends in your time, Alan Iverson, Kobe Bryant, your friends with Tom Brady and Floyd Mayweather. Of all the conversations you've had and all the lessons you've learned,

what are the defining qualities of people who achieve greatness? They're special. I mean, they separate themselves in different situations. It's kind of hard to explain, but, I mean,

every tight situation, it seems easy for the great players. It seems like they've seen the situation before, and that's what I want to get, I'm not at that level yet, But I want to get there and I want those tight situations to where everybody's real tight and and anxious and nervous. I want it to be like it's another day in the gym.

When Floyd Mayweather was in Boston for a playoff game last season, I asked him basically the same question I just asked you. He said, the bigger you get, the more you make, the harder you've got to continue to work. I think that athletes as well as entertainers, once they reach a certain point, they're content. With me, I always feel like I can get better, and I always wanted to grow and get better, and I wanted to continue to learn. Do you think that mindset is something innate, or can it be learned?

No, you can't learn that. Floyd always says you can be talented, but he's God-gifted. And when you're God-gifted, you can't teach a lot of the stuff that you have. I mean, to see, they're in you or not. That's why there's only a certain amount of great athletes that's ever played any sport. everybody's not great for a reason. And I also think it's a mindset of where you carry yourself. Not to be cocky or anything, but I feel like I'm the best player in the world.

And that's just the work I put in. And if you don't feel like that, then you're cheating yourself. So I talked to a general manager before, and he said that he thinks most players want to be great, but not all of them know how to be great. And I find this to be true in really almost any field. How do you think someone who lacks belief? in themselves can find that belief, even if they don't become a true great. How can they find that belief from within?

I don't know because I've never been in a situation where I don't believe in myself. That's a tough question because I've always believed in myself, I always have faith in myself. And the work I put in when I'm in the gym by myself makes it easier and I'm more confident when those types of situations comes up in a tight game or in a fourth quarter like I've seen that situation before so I couldn't answer that question because I've never my faith is never wavered I've always had confidence in myself and that's carried me to where I am today you said your faith never wavered but was there ever a single moment where you doubted that you could make it to the NBA no um that was the goal and the only goal and that

I was the plan and the only plan. And I put so much time and effort into this ever since I was a little boy that nobody was going to take that from me. And when I got my chance and my opportunity, I was going to be more than prepared to take advantage of it. And I think that's the difference between me and other people. Like some people's opportunity comes and they waste it because they're not ready for that moment.

And I remember Jason Terry always telling me that opportunity doesn't go away. it goes to somebody else and you just got to be ready for that moment and i'm to this day i've always been ready for the moment that this this came my way so what was going through your mind in the second round is the names of international players were going by names i'm not even going to try to pronounce uh when pick 50 pick 51 was going by what were you thinking about as as the drafts was starting to wrap up yeah i mean at one point i didn't i didn't think i was going to get a I forgot I even worked out for the Sacramento King.

That was my first official workout. So once the Lakers were done picking, I think their last pick may have been like 56. I was like, man, I still have faith, but I was like, if it doesn't happen, I was prepared for that. When going into the draft and making that decision, I remember talking over with Jason Terry.

We wrote down the pros and cons. We wrote down if we do get drafted, if we don't. what are the steps we're going to do if we don't get drafted? Like, we wrote that down. So I was ready for that moment. And even if I didn't get drafted, I always felt like I was still going to make it to the NBA.

But I said before, all I ever wanted was a chance, whether I got drafted first or 60th, just hearing my name call was my chance. And I was going to take advantage of the opportunity when it came. Has anybody who ever doubted you in the past contacted you to say, Isaiah, I was wrong. No. I mean, there might be a few people.

I don't know, I don't really remember, but you'll see it. You'll see, I mean, media people eat their own words. Now they're saying, oh, I'm such this, I'm such that, but it was at one point you downgraded what I was doing. And you see that all the time, and I'm not, that doesn't bother me. I just, I take a book from Floyd Mayweather. He said, I'm going to make you eat your words. And I just continue to work, no matter if they believe.

in me or not. One thing you mentioned earlier was that there's 60 new guys who come in every year, and I know your slogan when you came into the league was stay paranoid. Yeah. How has stay paranoid been a motivating factor for you to keep pushing and keep getting better every single season of your career? It's everything. I mean, I'm still paranoid to this day, because you never know what's going to happen. And I don't take anything for granted.

I think that's what's got me to where I am today is by staying paranoid. staying paranoid and not expecting anything. Like, I don't expect nothing because I was never given anything. And always took advantage of my opportunity and took what I thought was mine. And that's just been the definition of my career. And that would never change. And I think when that day does come where it does change, that I'd probably be the end of my career. You said earlier today when you met with the media that you understand why you're not starting

because there's other deserving guys. but going back to last year around this time, the local Boston media was saying that the Celtics need a superstar, that Isaiah Thomas is not a superstar. Did it piss you off when the media was saying things like that despite your production? Yeah, I mean, it makes me mad when I have the time to sit back and think about it, but I can't control that, man.

I can't control what people think. I mean, there's still people out there to this day to say I'm not a star or a superstar, but it doesn't really matter what they think. It matters what those guys in that locker room thinks, what my coaching staff and organization thinks, and ultimately what my peers think, and my peers think differently,

and that's all that really matters. And like I keep saying, I'm going to just keep going. I got so much room for improvement. I can reach even higher levels than I'm at right now, and I know I just going to continue to get better. Well, what do you need to get better at? Everything. I mean, everything.

I'm not a complete basketball player, and I'm not shy to say that. I don't know. I'm not great. And when that day comes where I can say I'm great or other people can say, am I great? Then maybe I'll sit back and be like, I've reached that level, but I'm not close to that level yet. What makes a good leader? Leading by example. And somebody the judge doesn't talk about it, but bees about it.

And I had to talk with Kevin Garnett the other day. other week when I was on his show, and I asked him that, like, how do you make guys follow you? And he just told me straight up, be yourself, go with your gut. You say you have big balls and follow those. So if they're with you, they're going to follow you, if they're not, then they're going to be left behind. And he also told me, whatever you say, you got to make sure you do. and you can't just say something and not be willing to do it because that's not what the leader is about

and I just take it from there which of those things do you need to get better at about being a leader yeah like the lessons Kevin Arnett taught he's probably one of the greatest leaders in Celtics history so like what are the things that you need to learn from him in order to reach a level that's closer to Keogh I mean you got to win he's a first ballot hall of famers

so I'm not at that level yet you know I'm trying to reach that level and I got a ways to go but it starts with your preparation and I'm a guy that prepares the right way and I'm a guy that my whole career I've always had people follow my lead and I'm not the best leader but I can get better and I'm going to continue to keep getting better at that. So you're 27 years old now. You're going to eventually get that max contract. They're going to bring out the Brings truck for you.

So you'll be 32 or 30. 33 by the end of that deal. What do you think a 32 or 33-year-old Lesia Thomas' game will look like at that point? Even better than what it is right now. More efficient, a smarter basketball player, a better leader.

I can only get better the older I get. And I mean, that's what I'm definitely going to try to do and really just keep moving forward. So one of the knocks that you kind of had on you in the past was that you were just really just a score first point guard, not as much of a passer. And you've developed that a lot over the years. And I know a lot of point guards, they age into their 30s. They may become more passing point guards anyway.

And I know last year you learned Steve Nash is kind of one foot jumper off the move. As you get older and into your 30s, do you think Steve Nash is the guy that you look to more as you develop as a play? I mean, yeah, because he's one of the guys that as he got older, I mean, he was back-to-back MVP. You never seen nothing like that at the age he was playing at the highest level of his career as he got older. So that's one guy I got in my phone book that I reach out to. And also other guys that did it before me, even like Tom Brady.

I mean, even though he doesn't play basketball, but the older he gets, the better he gets, and there's a reason for that. So I would definitely ask questions. and figure out how to continue to get better as I age. And when that time comes, I will have the right people around me to make sure I'm the best I can possibly be. Are you going to the game on Sunday? I might.

I'm still questionable to see how cold it is. So, Isaiah, you're one of the best pick and roll players in the NBA, about most efficient scorers especially. When the screen is calming in the pick and roll, what exactly are you looking for when it comes to the decision you're going to make once that screen comes and once the defense does decide to hedge or drop or whatever it is they do i'm just in attack mode my job is to stay in attack mode my job is the i remember the older isaiah thomas told me back when i was in college he was like um think score every time every possession think score because that's going to open up your passing

lanes so i think if you think score every time you're aggressive to make a play for yourself and your aggressiveness is going to make the defense make a decision what they want to stop. So that's what I'm thinking. I'm thinking attack the big off the pick and roll and just read the defense. And if they're back or my guy sets a really good pick and I'm open, I'm going to take the shot. If not, if there's two guys on me, I got to make the right pass out of the pick and roll. And then it's three on two on the backside.

So it's just a lot of things you can really do with the pick and roll. You just got to be able to make decisions at a at a, at a fast. at a faster rate. So back to Tom Brady, you said last year that he's the coolest dude you've ever met. So I'm wondering, what does make Tom Brady the coolest guy you've ever met? I mean, I didn't think, I mean, he's such a great player. And usually the great players are a little asshole sometimes. And he was like the complete opposite.

So he was a guy that was asking me questions about basketball and answered every question I had about being great about how he's, he's so good at the age he's getting and all those things. So he was just, and it was genuine. I mean, like you, you talk to some of those type of players and they, they'd be sure with you, or they don't really want to talk about things like that. And he was the complete opposite. And then, I mean, we text every now and then, and he's just a real good, genuine dude. Who's somebody you watching basketball today besides your own teammates that might not be a household name, but they're one of the funnest or best players to watch

that you think might be a little bit overlooked or underrated. My guy, Jamal Crawford, is always a fun guy to watch. I'm a fan of the game, so I watch, man. I watch everybody, everybody. At least somebody on one team is exciting. James Harden is excited to watch. Chris Paul. The Warriors are exciting to watch.

But, I mean, I'm a fan of the game. So, honestly, I really like watching. And a lot of players, there's not just one player that I try to watch more than others, but there's only a few players I would pay to see you play. Last question, here, Isaiah. In the Players Tribune last year, you wrote that Danny Ains told you, quote, Isaiah, the way you play the game of basketball, you could be a Celtics legend. What does it mean for you to have people from inside the organization coaches

and in the front office that push you to be the player that you aspire to be someday? It's just been genuine love since I've gotten here. I mean, when Danny told me that I thought he was just like, okay, he was excited about the trade. And he was just saying that to make me feel good about being here. But he really meant that. And a lot of people in this organization feel that way about my game. And that's the good thing about it. When you have an organization and coaching staff and players that are behind you,

that gives you the utmost confidence to just keep going. I mean, they love me for who I am, and I haven't had that in a long time to people liking me for being a score or being a small scoring point guard. Like, I'm not the typical point guard, and usually people don't like what's not normal. I'd say that's a perfect way to end it. Isaiah, I really appreciate you taking the time on your music schedule today. No, thank you. That's it for today's Ringer NBA show. If you want more from Isaiah Thomas, check out my IT article that a call.

companies this podcast on the ringer.com. And please feel free to comment with your thoughts. And if you like the show, please give us a rating on iTunes. You can follow Isaiah on Twitter at Isaiah underscore Thomas. My name is Kevin O'Connor. And you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at Kevin O'Connor NBA. Thank you so much for listening.