Isaiah Thomas stops by his old stomping grounds in Boston

The Celtics received a visit from an old friend Monday afternoon.

Isaiah Thomas posted a photo of the Auerbach Center to social media with the caption, “Back at the Crib.” The former Celtics point guard is in town for The Tradition, a fundraising event hosted by The Sports Museum that honors local sports legends. Tim Thomas, Vince Wilfork, Fred Lynn, Gabby Thomas and Keegan Bradley join Isaiah Thomas in the 2025 class.

It’s unlikely the Celtics would ever sign Thomas to a legitimate NBA contract again, especially considering he has not played in an NBA game since 2023-24 and hasn’t averaged over 20 minutes per game since he was with the Lakers in 2021-22. His playing days are likely over, but his impact is still felt in Boston.

Arriving in Boston via a trade in February 2015, Thomas joined a clearly rebuilding team that was 13 games below .500 after it traded away franchise legends Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. The 5-foot-9 point guard emerged as a fan favorite, known for his high-quality of play despite being counted out — especially as a 60th overall pick the 2011 NBA Draft — throughout the league. He helped the Celtics finish with a 40-42 record in his first season.

He followed that up with consecutive postseason berths for the Celtics, including an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals as a 53-win No. 1 seed that earned him MVP votes.

Those traits Thomas represented to achieve such results are perhaps the perfect example for this current iteration of the Celtics.

Boston underwent a major reworking of its roster during the 2025 offseason, opting to part ways with championship-caliber players to avoid paying harsh financial penalties. It instead decided to take a risk on multiple unproven players while waiting for franchise superstar Jayson Tatum to fully recover from an Achilles rupture. Expectations were set low, as many predicted a Tatum-less Celtics would hover around playoff contention until he returns.

If Thomas showed anything during his short — yet memorable — three seasons in Boston, that doesn’t have to be the case.

Jaylen Brown was a rookie during Thomas’ final season, serving as the only current player still on Boston's roster with a connection to Thomas. Brown had a front-row seat to see exactly how Thomas led the Celtics to achieve expectations that were much greater than most thought were ever possible.

Now Brown is in a similar role as a 10-year veteran.