Earlier this week, Isaiah Thomas returned to Boston for the first time since being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Although he didn’t play in the game due to back-to-back restrictions, the crafty ball-handler received a nice ovation from the Celtics faithful inside TD Garden.
The Celtics had planned on showing a tribute video in honor of Thomas’ service, but he asked the team to postpone it until a later date — preferably one in which he could play with his family in attendance, as he has said.
The Cavs and Celtics will commence their season series on February 11th in Boston. Just show Thomas’ tribute video on that date, right? Well, it’s a bit more complicated. As it turns out, the Celtics already had plans of retiring Paul Pierce’s jersey on Feb. 11, and it sounds like he doesn’t want Thomas stealing his thunder.
“I’m not saying Isaiah shouldn’t get a tribute video … but on Feb. 11, the night I get my jersey retired, I’m not sure I want to look up at the JumboTron and see Isaiah highlights,’ Pierce said Thursday during an appearance on ESPN’s The Jump.
Thomas recently spoke with NBC Sports Boston to explain his side of the story.
“That’s Pierce’s night,” Thomas said. “But the video tribute ain’t the whole night. I just wanted my family to be here to see it. That’s what it came down to. I wanted to be able to play. And I wanted my family to experience the love and appreciation this city and this organization was going to give me on that night. And when my representatives reached out to these guys, they were all for it. They agreed on it. I know people. I don’t know why they’re so mad about it. I’m not taking nothing from Paul Pierce. He did 15 years here, so there’s nothing that I can take from him. But if they choose to do it that night, that would be great, and I would be honored, and my family and friends can see how much they appreciated me here.”
Whether or not Thomas’s tribute video will play on Pierce’s jersey retirement night remains to be seen. Hopefully, this issue can be resolved in a reasonable manner.
