After recently joining the Los Angeles Lakers, veteran guard Isaiah Thomas compared his time as a teammate of LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers to being his teammate on the Lakers.
Isaiah Thomas on the difference playing with LeBron again: "For me, I'm healthy. I'm able to provide for him. … I can help him."
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) December 18, 2021
Thomas signed a 10-day deal with the Lakers earlier this week, connecting him again with both the franchise and James.
The previous connection between Thomas and James came during the 2017-18 season, when Thomas played with James on the Cavs before being dealt to the Lakers. Thomas had been acquired by the Cavaliers in a blockbuster deal that sent Kyrie Irving to the Celtics in August 2017.
Still recovering from a hip injury at the start of the 2017-18 campaign, Thomas didn’t play his first game with the Cavs until January 2018 and wound up being traded in February 2018.
Thomas then signed as a free agent with the Denver Nuggets after the 2017-18 season while James joined the Lakers during that same offseason.
The best part of the 32-year-old’s career came with the Boston Celtics. He averaged 24.7 points and 6.0 assists during his time with the Celtics. The veteran was able to provide some offense during the Lakers’ game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.
Thomas finished with 19 points in the Lakers’ loss to the Timberwolves. His production marked a promising personal start despite the defeat.
A healthy Thomas could help play a part in aiding the Lakers’ efforts to contend for another NBA title this season. That’s something that James is striving for, with the superstar surely hoping that Thomas is ready to help him achieve that goal.
