While the U.S. has already qualified for the FIBA AmeriCup Tournament, scheduled to take place in September 2022, two games remain in the qualifying round in San Juan, Puerto Rico, this week. The two-game set provides an ideal chance for Thomas to show his hip is once again healthy, and that he still has much to offer the game. “It was a no-brainer,” Thomas said. “It is a great opportunity to come out here and participate. A lot of NBA teams have told me that they want to watch me play. Here at this tournament, I’m able to play against real competition in addition to being able to represent my country, which is an honor and a privilege.” – via USA Basketball
The COVID-19 pandemic that swept the world and threw the NBA schedule into disarray provided an unexpected opportunity for the nine-year league veteran. “It gave me time to get 100 percent healthy,” Thomas said. “I was able to get a procedure done on my hip last May that has allowed me to feel 100 percent again.” That surgery, performed by Dr. Edwin Su in New York, resurfaced the hip, relieving the searing pain that Thomas had dealt with for so long. – via USA Basketball
His last appearance with the Celtics was in Game 2 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals. He was traded to Cleveland after the season, beginning a nomadic migration through five NBA teams over the next three years. “It was very frustrating,” Thomas said. “I didn’t know how to deal with (the injury), everything was on the fly. I was really trying to do everything I could do to compete at a high level, but I wasn’t myself, and anyone who watched the games could see that.” – via USA Basketball
