IT4: The Little Celtic that Could

Isaiah Thomas....where to begin? Isaiah Thomas the starting point guard for the Boston Celtics playing in his 2nd full year with the team (3rd total) and already establishing himself in Boston sports lore for years to come. Isaiah currently averages 29.9 PPG, 6.3 APG, and 2.7 RPG. Now besides the PPG the other stats don't exactly jump off the page, until you learn that Isaiah Thomas is only 5'9 and 185 pounds. He's currently the shortest active player in the NBA and is 8th among scoring leaders with the leader being Russel Westbrook with 31.1 PPG only a bucket more then Isaiah per game. In only his 5th year in the league IT is in the top 5 for the MVP race with LeBron, Westbrook, Durant, and Harden.

Let's discuss how Isaiah ended up in Boston. Thomas was drafted by the kings in 2011 in the 2nd round with Sacramentos 30th pick and went 60th overall, for those who don't know much about the NBA draft, he was the final player drafted In 2011. Mr irrelevant. Well IT has cycled through a few nicknames since starting his career in the NBA from Mr. Irrelevant, to the Pizza Boy because he always delivers in the clutch, Amy Lawrence dubbed him, "The Little Engine that Could" which was the the inspiration for the article title, but if you ask any true Celtics fan they'll tell you that of all the nicknames he's had the one that's stuck the best is undoubtedly "The king of the Fourth".Perhaps Isaiah's best weapon in his arsenal is his ability to flip the switch and go off in crunch time and more specifically, the fourth quarter. IT has earned the title and then some, averaging nearly 10 points on the year in the fourth quarter and in doing so, has caught the attention of the entire league and become one of the most talked about players in the league.

Following the topic of Isaiah Thomas is the team he plays for, the Boston Celtics. And driving that team is a loyal fan base that has completely fallen in love with not only their tiny warrior of a point guard that simply won't take no for answer, but the team in front of them. And there's no better fit for Isaiah then the city of Boston. A city of heart, passion, champions and sports dominance yet still the underdogs most of the time, and never out of the fight no matter what the score. The proof is in the memories that have defined Boston sports over the past 2 decades, the Red Sox 2004 ALCS comeback down 3 games to none Against the rival Yankees, the Patriots historical super bowl comeback down 25 points in the 3rd quarter against the falcons, The Boston Bruins incredible comeback against the maple leafs in the 2013 playoffs down 4-1 with 11 minutes to go in game seven, or even the Celtics 24 point comeback in LA against the lakers in the NBA finals. What's the one thing that all of these teams have in common? They never say die, and neither does IT. Even when the shot seems impossible he takes it, and most of the time makes it. Whenever it looks like there's no space for any hopes of a basket he somehow gets the layup through a sea of defenders. When he's matched up with a defender that looks twice his size he attacks head on and puts the team before anything else, caring more about scoring the decisive basket then his own body or well being. Doing anything his team asks of him to drive the dagger home or swing the momentum and rally the team.

Isaiah Thomas is fearless on the court sticking up for himself and teammates as well. He's not alone however as far as fearless little guys go. Names that come to mind are Julian Edelman, Brad Marchand, and Dustin Pedroia. All told no since day one, told they were too small or not strong enough and yet they said no and rallied an entire city behind them on multiple occasions. For a while it was as Rondo but he served his time in Boston and opened the door for players like IT. Now more then all the exciting plays, impossible lay ups, deep "no way that's going in" 3 pointers that end up swishing, the and-1s that send the garden into a frenzy, insane no look passes, Isaiah Thomas bring hope to the Celtics. Last player drafted in his class, smallest player in the league, traded to a struggling rebuilding team with the task of becoming a leader, Thomas always seems to find a way when it looks like all hope is lost. And if the smallest guy in the league that was never given a chance from the get go can find a way to conquer then maybe, just maybe, the team that he's leading can a find a way to conquer too.