There is not going to be a tribute video for Isaiah Thomas shown the next time the Cleveland Cavaliers visit the Boston Garden at the request of Thomas himself. Never has there been this much controversy around a tribute video: Thomas didn’t want it the first time the Cavaliers came to Boston because he would not be playing, so the Celtics said they would run it the next time Cleveland came to town, which turns out to be the night of Paul Pierce getting his jersey retired, and he didn’t want to share the spotlight. Thomas said this week not to run it.
Now enter Rajon Rondo, the former Celtic who wonders why Thomas gets one at all.
Rajon Rondo was irked to hear that the Celtics would honor Isaiah Thomas on any night. "What has he done?” Rondo asked. Told that he led the Celtics to the conference finals last year, Rondo remarked, “Oh, that’s what we celebrate around here?”
— Bill Doyle (@BillDoyle15) January 17, 2018
More Rondo on IT: “This is the Boston Celtics. This isn’t the Phoenix Suns, no disrespect to any other organization, but you don’t hang conference titles. Do we hang going to the conference finals? What do we hang here?”
— Bill Doyle (@BillDoyle15) January 17, 2018
Title banners, Rondo was told.
“OK, cool,” Rondo said.
Relax Rondo (who now plays for the Pelicans, a team that upset the Celtics Tuesday night). This isn’t a jersey retirement, it’s a tribute video. It lasts about a minute and thanks a player for his efforts, it’s not a statue in front of the building. You don’t need a ring to get a video.
What should be the bar for getting a video? It’s not that high. Thomas was an All-NBA player in Boston who did take the team farther than many expected, and he was beloved by fans because he brought everything he had every night. Thomas, at 5'9", played with a chip on his shoulder and found his way among the forest of tall trees in the NBA — something fans could relate to more than a 6'8" guy with insane physical gifts.
That sounds like it’s tribute video worthy to me. Even in Boston.
