Book of Isaiah II

I stumbled upon a fantastic, inspirational documentary on Isaiah Thomas and his life as an NBA player so far.

Context

For those who don't know who Isaiah Thomas is: he is a 5'9 guard who's claim to fame was leading the Boston Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2016. He put up incredible numbers (29 points and 6 assists on only 33 minutes per game) during his time there and pretty much carried the team.

This documentary (along with Part 1, which you should definitely check out too), gives a glimpse of the highlights and lowlights of being a star in the NBA. One season, he's the most talked about player in the NBA. The next season, he gets traded three times in that season.

Check it out here:

Learnings

My biggest takeways from the documentary are Isaiah Thomas’ attitude and mindset. I'm amazed at how grounded he is and how he seems to be a great father, family man, and person. He knows he's a good foot shorter than the average NBA player, but he compensates for that by working harder on all aspects of his game that he can control. He gives credit to folks who has helped him along the journey and pays it back by attending basketball camps and talking to young kids. His message to keep grinding and pursuing his dream when so many people doubt him because of his height is one that needs to be heard more often. I also love the fact that he takes his sons everywhere and keeps his family close to him.

Watching the NBA (and sports in general), we only see great physical performances and intense competition. We don't really get to see that the players themselves are human. They all have feelings, families, and struggles just like the rest of us. After seeing Isaiah Thomas’ story, I have more admiration for him, and I hope to see him get back to his prime.