Boston Celtics' Isaiah Thomas aims to be 'the best little guy to ever play the game of basketball'

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Boston Celtics' Isaiah Thomas aims to be 'the best little guy to ever play the game of basketball'





FILE: Boston Celtics' Isaiah Thomas (4) drives for the basket in front of Toronto Raptors' Louis Williams (23) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Boston, Tuesday, April 14, 2015. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Print Email Jay King | mjking@masslive.com By Jay King | mjking@masslive.com

on September 02, 2015 at 10:00 PM




BOSTON – When Sports Illustrated ranked him No. 88 among all NBA players earlier this week, Isaiah Thomas considered it disrespect. But while he has vowed to prove that list wrong, he has set his sights on a greater individual goal.

During a Wednesday afternoon chat with children at the Roslindale Community Center, where the Boston Celtics guard gave away backpacks to school children, he revealed he aims to become "the best little guy to ever play the game of basketball."

It's a tall task, for sure, and Thomas has a group of former "little guys" he respects a whole lot.

"Allen Iverson," Thomas said first. After a brief pause, he continued, "Isiah Thomas -- the older one. Nate 'Tiny' Archibald. There's a lot of them. But I want to be the best guy to ever play under 6-foot. That's a goal of mine and I'm going to try to reach that."

If we're being exact, Iverson (6'0"), the older Thomas (6'1") and Archibald (6'1") were all listed at 6-feet or taller. Assuming that's the cut-off, their heights give the younger Thomas a better chance of reaching his goal. Still, he will have to surpass legends like Calvin Murphy – the shortest player, at 5-foot-9, to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

As for the Sports Illustrated ranking, Thomas said, "That's somebody else's opinion. And I'm going to prove them wrong. And just continue to work hard. That's all I can do. And worry about the things that I can control.

"(Doubters are) nothing new. It's not like I woke up and seen that and it was the end of my day. I went on with my day. I didn't lose any sleep. We still got doubters out there and people who don't believe in me. I feel like this organization believes in me and loves the things I do. So I'm going to build on that and continue to work hard."



bob
MY NOTE:  Works for me, but considering there have been some pretty good 'little guys' to play the game this might be a tall order (no pun intended).  A few names from the 'under 6-foot' list he needs to beat:  Calvin Murphy and Spud Webb.  Two pretty good players.  On the list today would include Ty Lawson and JJ Barea.  Luckily for him his namesake Isaiah Thomas, Bob Cousy and Tiny Archibald are all listed at 6'1" and therefore don't qualify for that list.  Then that hill he wants to climb would have become Everest.  Hell, CP3 and Kyle Lowry are listed at 6' even and that will make it tough as Hell.  Still, gotta love the spunk.  Go Isaiah! You show them!


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