Hong Kong Rugby Sevens 2019 Competition entry by Caagbay Eiscen Oareza
We asked our readers about their favourite sports star and most amazing sporting moment and here is one of the entries. It has not been edited
Thomas has played for some of the biggest teams in the NBA.What qualities come to mind when asked about your favorite sports star? Looks? Fame? Fortune? Well, the qualities at the top of my list has to be determination and good sportsmanship, and there’s only one person that comes to my mind when I think of this - Isaiah Thomas.
Thomas has had a love for basketball from an early age. Throughout his career, he has always been the smallest person in the team, but this didn’t stop him from achieving greatness, instead he used this ‘disadvantage’ to push him to work harder to prove his worth to everyone who doubted him. In his years in the NBA, he always showed up when he needed to, playing as a bench player for various teams. However, it wasn’t until the 2016-2017 NBA season that he showed everyone what he was truly capable of. Thomas had averaged 28.9 points per game and ranked third in the whole league. This, with the help of his Boston Celtics teammates, helped carry his team into the playoffs.
Unfortunately, during the first round of the playoffs, Thomas’ sister had passed away. Despite this tragic incident, Thomas still played the very next day after his sister’s funeral. That very game, he scored a game-high 33 points – using his grief as motivation to push forward. It was this moment that showed me how determined Thomas was to win for his team and for his city, and how he managed to encourage his teammates to keep their heads up despite his tragic loss.
As a sportsperson myself, I realize how easy it is to simply give up when the going gets tough. Nevertheless, what Isaiah Thomas had done on that game has truly showed me what a good athlete should be like, and what I should aspire to be.