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2-Time Former Laker Turns Heads In G League Debut

The former Laker shined in his G League debut.

Two-time former Los Angeles Laker guard Isaiah Thomas isn't giving up on his return to the NBA. 

The former Laker is continuing to pursue a return to the NBA, and he's doing so in the NBA's G League. Thomas played in his first game as a member of the Salt Lake City Stars, and he shined. 

He started in the game and finished with a game-high 32 points on 7-of-23 shooting from the field, along with four assists in 39 minutes of action. 

His game-high 32 should be no surprise to Lakers and NBA fans who watched him score buckets all his career. The 35-year-old told The Salt Lake Tribune's Alex Vejar that scoring the ball is what he does best. 

“That’s what I do. I score the basketball,” Thomas said when asked if he was surprised his first shot went in. “So I wasn’t surprised at all. I was surprised by all of them damn misses I had.”

—Isaiah Thomas, via The Salt Lake Tribune

Thomas was named a two-time All-Star in 2016 and 2017 as a member of the Boston Celtics. After his All-Star appearances, he joined the Lakers after the 2018 NBA trade deadline. In his first stint in Los Angeles, he played 17 games and averaged 15.6 points per game, 38.3% shooting from the field. 

His second time as a Laker came during the 2021-2022 season when he signed a 10-day contract. He only appeared in four games in the purple and gold. 

Thomas can still score buckets, but he is far from a hot commodity within NBA circles. Still, he's doing his thing in the G League, and there's no doubt he will continue to kill it down there.