On this episode of This League, we talk about what happens when the league decides you are just washed, no longer an NBA player. They do not want you, they do not need you. How hard that is to change their minds when it is not true. We are talking about Isaiah Thomas, but we're also talking about the likes of Michael Beasley, Kenneth Reid, Mike James, and many many more. So do me a favorite, Marty Oh, dead time, dead summer, dead summer, you know when we're talking about it.
But that's where we're at right now.
So time to get into the heartwarming stories, sad stories.
Let's drop the beat and it's the same.
You'll be waiting for.
Spleen of a goal stop.
We got the plan.
If go, let me go gaping. Everybody knows.
If you love hoops, you love it. Do you say that's true? I think he's.
For kids who did not become sixty three, sixty five, sixty seven like myself and yourself.
Knowing what Isaiah Thomas can.
Do at we'll call him six.
Feet flat is a very generous. Yeah, that he's not even he's at five ten.
Yeah, getting back into the league is something that I want for Isaiah Thomas.
It was about a month ago.
Remember, he broke down and cried after he scored eighty one, just like a month ago at the Crenshaw Classic, and he said, the league gave up on me. The league gave up on me, And then he tweeted afterwards, Listen, it wasn't just the league that gave.
Up on me. It was the whole goddamn world.
I wasn't showing y'all a snippet of me being emotional so y'all can feel sorry for me.
Hell no, my life is great.
I was showing y'all to show you what it feels like to give everything you have to something you love and to.
See it slowly coming back where it's supposed to be the marathon continues.
The emotion was tied up from the last four years, battling every single day. I'm not talking about the league giving up on me, lol. The world gave up on me and was shitting on me while I was down and out. When you love something, you'll do whatever it
takes to get that. And I'm back, baby. I mean it was when I watched that clip, I kind of tear it up a little bit, like all that mental anguish, all that physical anguish, knowing what he went through with his sister's death, all of his hip issues with the way the Boston Celtics organization ran him down to the ground and discarded him like a piece of trash.
And then the league decided, yeah, you're trash.
Even though he was just an MVP candidate before he got injured, Like that's where we're at. You know, five ten, loose some mobility, loose athleticism, and.
You're just a guy.
Two time All Star, two.
Time All Star, And that eighty one points got people's attention again.
People like Lebron were tweeting his support, and then all of a sudden, before you know what is isa Time Thomas is at Staples Center.
He is trying out for a roster spot, to be a backup to the backup of Russ.
Look good, Yeah, look good.
And then, like clockwork, even though it looked like Isaiah Thomas was going to be in purple and coal once again, there was a wrench in the plan thrown in by.
The universe, and his name was Rondo.
Apparently it was unexpected that Regon people don't like it when I say Regeon, So I'm just gonna call Regon got bought out by the Grizzlies.
I didn't think that was gonna happen.
I think that John.
Morant could use little Regon Rondo leadership in the locker room.
Yeah.
I wasn't expecting a buy out there, especially because we've seen Rondo like play on teams like that, like he was on Sacramento for a minute and like didn't really bitch about it. Like, yeah, no, I didn't see a buy out really coming.
And remember also the Lakers.
We talked about this earlier in the season where the Lakers said that one of the reasons that their chemistry was off is because they lost Rondo and he was so instrumental into the chemistry. I know you don't buy into that, but there are guys who are important in keeping people accountable, and apparently La really felt like Rondo.
Was one of them.
So now the Lakers want Rondo and not it even though literally the contract was almost in it's grasps and poof.
Now he's looking for another way to get back into the league, and I don't know if he will.
I don't know if he will, but this sort of brought me to a larger issue. Do you think about like Isaiah Thomas is not far off from being an NBA player, Like he's a good player.
No, And he played in the league last year.
He had a ten day with the Pelicans, yep.
Yeah, And like that was weird.
Stanley and Gundy didn't treat him well because Lonzo Ball was out and Josh Hart was out and he wasn't really getting any run.
Yeah, no, Marshall was playing over them. Yeah, weird, very weird.
But to me, it's like, Okay, we know that Isiah Thomas is capable of playing in the league if he's healthy, and I really want someone to take a flyer on him.
But really it's about what happens. Where do you go? What do you do if you're a.
Player of NBA caliber and the league decides you're no longer an NBA player anymore, like all the teams and obviously, according to Isiah Thomas, the world as well, Like you're washed. How do you convince people that they're wrong when they're like, you can't be here anymore, you can't even get a ten day.
You're like, oh, you're not gonna get any run. You're just here.
Summer League is your best bet to try what do you do. There's not a ton of options. We just came out of a summer league. Summer league used to be where rookies came in and showed their stuff, and now you fucking Michael Beasley trying to.
Show he's not washed.
Like it's now where old players come to show their stuff.
I hope that continues, so why I kind of love it?
It was crazy.
Here are a few of the many players trying to get into the league through summer league. Kenneth far Reid play for the Blazer Summer League team thirty one not old. He's the same age as Dame. Been out of league two years playing in China. I mean the league has kind of gone to where he is. He's six' eight stretch for can play, three four, five definitely. Tough Con, dunk can play some roles and, somehow some way no one wants.
HIM i, mean can you?
Shoot?
Now Can Draymond?
GREEN i mean If kenth For red just stuck With Jay, crowder all you need to do is just Be Jay. Crowder like we, see if you're six eight and you can shoot some corner, three some just, outlets you're. Good you just that's the only thing he. NEEDS i know it's a big. Thing that's What Ben simmons. Needs but come on, Now Marquis, chris he's only twenty.
Four he's, bad eighth overall. Pick he's a bad.
PLAYER i watched him a.
While he's.
Bad he's trying to get back in. Though twenty. Four Michael, beasley he hasn't played since twenty. Nineteen he's only thirty.
Two Michael beasley's only thirty. Two, yes, jeez, YEAH i guess that makes.
Sense.
Yeah Mike, james who played serious minutes for The nets in the. Playoffs he's been bouncing everywhere seven, seasons From serbia To, israel To croatia to all WHERE i Mean. YUGOSLAVIA i don't even. Know like he's been legitimately everywhere in the. Globe, yes and people are, like, yeah we'll give you a shot if someone gets, hurt and then that person's backup gets.
Hurt but he can.
Play but the best example is Former oregon Dust Joe.
Yng who is That? Marty Who's Joe?
Yong?
EXACTLY i MEAN i kind of remember, him but, yeah.
Twenty fifteen went to the league From oregon the second, round played three seasons there all, right one hundred and twenty seven, games averaged like four points nine minutes a.
GAME i, mean he's.
Fine the only reason he didn't get extended after his rookie contract is because they Drafted Aaron holliday and they had way too many. Guards they HAD i, THINK i think three or four other, guards so they're like. Nah then they give him In china a one point three million dollar contract with The Monkey, kings which problematic. NAME i would, say very problematic, name but we won't we
won't go into. That and he became for two straight years the highest scorer in The Chinese Basketball league high score fucking thirty eight a.
Game he averaged thirty eight points a. Game that's.
Strong then coronavirus fucked him. Up couldn't come into the, bubble couldn't get back From china to The United.
States you know how it. Is when we got.
Somebody calling it The china, IRUs you're not getting in From, china like that's the, way then goes you, know, listen we're not bringing a monkey kid in to our. Bubble this just can't do, it, yeah optics. Wise so then he plays First Stufon, marbury, who by the, way is a head coach now Not.
CLAIRE i THINK i know that head coach for a couple of.
Years now he's. Not he's earned like three. Million Joe young still not in THE.
Nba he got an invite to be on The wizards and they didn't even play him in summer league enough games for you to have stats for. Him he didn't play enough minutes during the fucking summer league for you to find a goddamn stat about how he's.
Done they didn't play him like barely at.
All, uh, dude average thirty eight points a, game and it's The Washington wizards and they're, like we're not gonna play you in the fucking summer. League this is What i'm talking, About. Marty when the world decides.
Yo you're.
Nothing you can't even get The Washington wizards to put you out on minutes when they've got absolutely garbage players coming in coming. Out you're a pro averaging thirty eight points a game In. China they're, like, yeah, no not enough for you to get.
STATS i, mean that's bizarre to not play a guy on your summer league. Team the point is for these guys to get some. Run that's bizarre to just not play.
Somebody it's just, crazy all of.
This to make the point, of like when THE nba decides it doesn't really matter what you've, Done like you have guys Like Jeremy lynn sanity and you're just a spark in the.
Bottle you're just a we've decided you're a spark in the. Bottle you're. Nothing and then.
There's guys who still get, minutes Like Hassan. Whiteside there's guys who just deserve nothing.
Who continue to get, Contracts.
And it's a, weird non meritorious, situation, Right like you just can't change these GM's. Minds Pat, beverly who we know is AN nba caliber, Player we know that he's a difference, maker we know that he is an, irritant spent three years abroad before he could ever get on AN nba. Team it was like he went on AN nba team and then, left then tried to come. Back he wasn't even allowed to come to the first. Place Bruce bowen spent four years In france before starting a thirteen YEAR nba.
Career it's wild how this whole thing. Goes.
YEAH J, TUCKER Pj tucker five years In israel In Europe.
Wild Jeremy lynn this, year just this, year lit up THE G league and no one's looking at him for AN nba roster and we Got Jalen. Green no disrespect To Jalen, green but, like why does What Jalen green does in THE G? League like why is that applicable to THE? Nba but What Jeremy lynn does in THE G league not applicable to THE.
Nba good, point you know What i'm. Saying, yeah it's a good.
Point how hard is it to change people's minds when they've decided that you are no longer, wanted that you are, washed that you are not a, Player and more, so how physically and mentally exhausting is it to wake up every single day knowing that the world has counted you out and you believing differently and trying to dig and grind and get to the place where the world will accept you for who they thought.
That you were and no longer wanted you in the.
League like just fucking Ask Isaiah, thomas like fucking, hard really, hard as he would, say a slow.
Grind that's all the time that we have for This league.
Podcast please remember to follow us On, spotify On apple and. YouTube we will be Back wednesday for a special little mini episode and Then friday morning.
For a new episode of this Week.
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