ISAIAH THOMAS on joining the SALT LAKE CITY STARS 🤩⭐️ | #RoundbalRoundup

ISAIAH THOMAS on joining the SALT LAKE CITY STARS 🤩⭐️ | #RoundbalRoundup

It’s round ball Roundup on utahjazz.com I’m JP chunga joined by a two-time Allstar a man who is known as the king of the fourth it pizza guy yeah that’s a throwback right there look up the nickname look up the nickname piz origal pizza guy for sure Isaiah Thomas on round ball Rand up

Thank you so much for taking the time sitting in the studio ah I appreciate you having me 32 points last night yeah how are you feeling after that performance and getting back on the floor for a professional team um it felt good like I’m I’m super thankful for the

Opportunity it felt amazing to be out you know to be on the team again and to to have that camaraderie and to just compete at a high level um I had a lot going on the last couple days just with you know getting here and having all the little doctor’s appointments and then

Doing the little blood testing all yesterday so I had a lot and you know the elevation caught up to me last night but overall it felt really good to be out there um I’m a little rusty but I know once I get my rhythm it’ll be it’ll

Be like riding a bike I was going to say you mentioned that your legs were feeling it a little bit on the ensuing interviews that you did for sure what is the rest and recovery process how do you feel physically going into this year because I’m sure you’re you’re trying to

Get to a point where you can play NBA games yeah yeah I’m I’m good for the most part but nothing nothing translates to you know professional game like I can work out each and every day two three times a day I could do all of that but

Then you get in the game and that still doesn’t translate to an NBA game a g-league game it doesn’t matter what level of basketball it’s just different so you know it’ll take a few days to to Just Adjust and get back to playing getting up and down getting hit with

Screens and all the little things that comes along with the game so you know I’m just taking it day by day I got my treatment today I got my recovery today so my body’s feeling really well and ready to just you know keep playing and and showcase everything I can what was

The process of ramping yourself up to play pro games you were still doing Pro AMS 50 points in the crossover you were still getting it done on that end but what were you doing in other parts um just working out daily like just staying ready as possible keeping my skills as

Sharp as possible um but that’s just a way of life for me so it wasn’t like I did anything different it was just daily just getting to the gym working out taking care of my body eating right and knowing that an opportunity would come just not knowing when it would and then

When it came it’s like like I said it’s like riding a bike you just got to you know um get off the little rust that I have and and once I get my rhythm back here the game would be even easier you said you found out while you were

Working out while you were on a basketball floor that you were going to have this opportunity yeah I was actually um walking in the gym I was walking in the University of Washington that’s where I work out each and every day and you know I got a call and then

It was all she wrote after that how did it come about and how grateful are you that you’re getting this chance to show yourself for NBA teams I’m super grateful um I’m super grateful for the GM of the stars um Maris I’m super grateful for the head coach and Steve um

You know just giving me opportunity and also knowing that what I’m what I’m what I’m working for like the ultimate goal is to get back in the NBA to get on the NBA roster and at least play a few more years but um they’ve welcomed me with open arms the last

Couple days they allowed me to Showcase my skills last night they want me to be me they want me to be able to um you know show my give my experiences to the younger guys and then show them how to be professional each and every day and that’s something that

I do no matter if you ask me to do it or not that’s just who I am so that’s what I’m here to do and obviously showcase my skills and what I can do to help an NBA team and then just compete at a high level each and every day tell me about

That experience because I’m sure everybody is asking you questions about your path your journey how can it help a locker room this locker room and then an NBA locker room that you’re looking forward to um I think my career and my story is there’s not a lot out there

That’s like mine like I’ve been through every situation in my 11 years in the NBA where it be a guy that gets dmps a guy that’s been a six-man a starter a franchise player like a lot of guys haven’t been in all those roles so my experience is is everything to these

Younger guys you know when I got here a couple of them were like man you’re I I used to love watching you in high school like they made me feel so old but it was it was just super dope cuz they know my story they know what I’m about and I

Obviously can still do it at a high level so I think that helps as well I’m not just one of those guys that at the end of the bench that you know is talking about my experiences I’m I’m able to continue to show them as well

And I think that’s huge like that’s the respect level for these younger guys is like if you can’t show it it’s hard for them to relate to what you what what you’re saying no matter if what you’re saying is right like if you can still show it that’s what they kind of relate

To more than just talking about it so I’m able to do a little bit of both and I think that’s the luxury of having a guy like myself whether it be in a g-league locker room a NBA locker room it doesn’t matter I can I can make an

Impact each and every day without without even scoring the basketball how is how useful is the g-league for not only your situation but other guys who are getting experience at that level in making the jump to the NBA I mean it’s the closest thing to the NBA you know

Obviously you got the overseas route but that’s tough for a lot of people um the G league is is the JV of you know high school so you you you you just got to wait your turn a little bit It’s a Grind it’s a slow grind for sure you know a lot of

Things on the day-to-day basis are a little different but at the end of the day it’s basketball and it’s professional basketball and you got to respect that and everybody has the ultimate goal of being on an NBA roster so it’s super cool to watch each and everybody’s Journeys and and you know to

See you know how long it takes for them to get there to reach their goal your former g-league head coach was there to support you Jason Terry what’s it like to see him now not only go from g-league head coach but do the thing that he’s

Trying to do which is become a NBA head coach he’s on NBA bench right now that’s my brother like i’ I’ve known his dad coached me since I was in fifth grade so it’s like jet means everything to me like if there’s two people in the basketball

World that I give everything to and that’s Jamal Crawford and Jason Terry like without them I wouldn’t be in the situation I’m in right now without them I wouldn’t had the career I had 11 years in the NBA like they mean so much more they mean so much to me

And that’s everything you know he took his time to come out and see me hoop but that’s just like old times when he was coming to my college games when he was seeing me in high school when he would come when his dad was coaching me in

Middle School like that’s just who he is and someone you know I give the most respect to and that’s that Wasing in connection cuz you guys you guys have secretly like one of the best basketball cultures around yeah and everybody’s like that from that area everybody is like a real

Brotherhood that everybody supports everybody no matter what no matter if it’s an NBA game or a backpack giveaway we got in the city it doesn’t matter everybody’s has that has that Brotherhood mentality or the crossover or the crossover y shout out to the crossover 50 points in the crossover oh

Yeah you know that’s easy work how was it what does it feel like when you’re in the zone you know for me it’s just feels like I’m just in the gym by myself you know just like I was as a little kid at the YMCA by myself

Shooting the Hoops when you get in that zone it’s like you don’t even hear the crowd you don’t even see everybody around and you know everybody doesn’t get those moments so those are really special moments and you know I’mma I’m going get one of those moments again

Soon why basketball why this sport as opposed to any other one I mean before I loved anything I loved basketball okay and it just it just it brings a smile to my face um it’s never felt like work it’s never felt like it’s been hard it’s just something obviously I’ve been really

Good at it since I was young but like everything about the game of basketball I love and I know until that goes away like I’mma give it everything I have no matter if it’s in the G League back in the NBA cuz I know I will be back there at some point

Um or back at the crib hooping with my kids like it it doesn’t matter that feeling is just the same slow grind you’re wearing it right now tell us about what you’re doing with that um slow grind it’s a lifestyle it’s a it’s it’s it’s my brand um I have a

Production company um that you know does um short documentaries um that does movies and when I was hurt years ago like I came up with the name and the brand because like my life was really a slow grind while I was hurt like nothing was moving fast Day by I had to take

Everything day by day and I came up with that and it just it just stuck with my journey it stuck with my my story and then we got a clothing line um as well U we got a website we got a a book as well called hoop Heist it’s

About the sonics being taken from Seattle and the basketball culture of the Pacific Northwest U we published that I think that was in 2021 so we’re just trying to hit every lane you know trying to take advantage of every opportunity we have and just know the

Showcase that you know life is a slow grind whether it’s basketball all walks of life is the definition of what slow grind is and it’s just anything you want isn’t going to come fast how do how do you want this chapter of the Salt Lake

City Stars for you to go in the NBA obviously yeah I mean it’s going to end with me being on an NBA roster yeah so no matter if it takes a couple games the what do we got eight or nine games left I’m I’m I’m here locked in ready for whatever we’re looking

Forward to it and you’ll be able to follow it on Jazz plus anywhere you watch the Salt Lake City Stars games he is the newest Salt Lake City Star Isaiah Thomas on round ball round up thank you so much for taking the time I appreciate you having me

Newest Salt Lake City Star Isaiah Thomas joined JP Chunga to talk about his G-League opportunity.

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