Tim Thomas (basketball)
Personal information | |
---|---|
Born |
Paterson, New Jersey | February 26, 1977
Nationality | American |
Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
Listed weight | 240 lb (109 kg) |
Career information | |
High school |
Paterson Catholic (Paterson, New Jersey) |
College | Villanova (1996–1997) |
NBA draft | 1997 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7th overall |
Selected by the New Jersey Nets | |
Playing career | 1997–2010 |
Position | Small forward / Power forward |
Career history | |
1997–1999 | Philadelphia 76ers |
1999–2004 | Milwaukee Bucks |
2004–2005 | New York Knicks |
2005–2006 | Chicago Bulls |
2006 | Phoenix Suns |
2006–2008 | Los Angeles Clippers |
2008–2009 | New York Knicks |
2009 | Chicago Bulls |
2009–2010 | Dallas Mavericks |
Career NBA statistics | |
Points | 9,454 (11.5 ppg) |
Rebounds | 3,379 (4.1 rpg) |
Assists | 1,272 (1.5 apg) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Timothy Mark "Tim" Thomas (born February 26, 1977) is a retired American professional basketball player.
High school and college
A versatile 6'10" forward with a soft shooting touch, Thomas was tabbed as a future NBA star when he was still in high school, and was selected to the McDonald's All-American team after averaging 25.3 points and 14.5 rebounds per game as a senior at Paterson Catholic High School. Following his freshman year at Villanova University, he was drafted seventh overall by the New Jersey Nets in the 1997 NBA Draft and was immediately traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for the Sixers' draft pick (Keith Van Horn).
NBA
Philadelphia 76ers
Thomas enjoyed a solid rookie season, averaging 11.0 points per game, and was named to the NBA's All-Rookie 2nd Team. The Sixers would grow impatient with a sophomore slump from Thomas, though, and in 1999 he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee was enamored with Thomas's raw talent and versatility, and hoped he could blossom into a star with more seasoning. It looked like things were coming together for Thomas during the 2000–01 season, when he averaged a career-high 13.4 ppg for the Bucks. On January 5, 2001, Thomas connected on eight three-point field goals in the second half of Milwaukee's 119–115 loss to Portland. During his time with the Bucks, then-teammate Ray Allen was quoted as saying, "If he wanted to, Tim Thomas could be the best player in the league."[1] Nevertheless, after a strong playoff performance that year, Thomas signed a new deal worth roughly $66 million over six years.
New York Knicks
In 2004 he was traded for Van Horn again, this time to the New York Knicks. Thomas's first tour with the Knicks was rather nondescript (his most notable incident was after a playoff game against the New Jersey Nets, when he referred to Kenyon Martin as "fugazy" (a slang term for fake)[2][3]), and on the eve of training camp in 2005 he was traded to the Chicago Bulls (along with Michael Sweetney) in a package that brought Eddy Curry to New York.
Chicago Bulls
Rather than dealing with Thomas's questionable conditioning habits and locker-room presence, Chicago chose to send him home for good in late 2005 and officially waived him in March 2006; he would finish that year with Phoenix.
Phoenix Suns
After bouncing around from team to team, Thomas rejuvenated his career in the 2006 playoffs, playing alongside two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash. On May 4, 2006, at Los Angeles in game 6 of the first round of the Western Conference divisional playoffs, Thomas hit a crucial game-tying three pointer with 6 seconds left in regulation to spare the 2nd seeded Phoenix Suns from elimination against the 7th seeded Los Angeles Lakers. The Suns went on to win that game in the overtime period when Thomas hit another important three-pointer to force a game 7; a game which they won by 31 points to claim the series and complete the 3–1 series comeback. With the Suns, he became known as the one who helped knock both the Lakers and the Clippers out of the playoffs, before the team eventually lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals.
Los Angeles Clippers
After his brilliant playoff performance, Thomas signed a four-year, $24 million contract with the Los Angeles Clippers on July 13, 2006. He played solid (if unspectacular) basketball for the Clippers, but again failed to live up to his high playoff standards, and was subsequently traded to the New York Knicks again on November 21, 2008.
New York Knicks
Upon arriving in New York again, Thomas was reunited with Mike D'Antoni, who coached the Suns in 2006.
Chicago Bulls
On February 19, 2009, Tim was traded yet again to the Bulls along with center Jerome James and guard Anthony Roberson in exchange for guard Larry Hughes just before the trade deadline.[4]
On July 14, 2009, the Bulls negotiated a buyout of Thomas's $6.5 million contract.
Dallas Mavericks
On July 28, 2009, the Dallas Mavericks signed free agent Thomas. In late January, however, he left the team temporarily to take care of his wife, who had an undisclosed illness.
In August 2010 Thomas agreed to a one-year deal with the Mavericks worth the veteran minimum. In September of that year, however, he told the club that he would not report to the team so that he could care for his sick wife.[5]
Awards
- Thomas was on the Second NBA All-Rookie Team in 1997–98 season.
- He won the The Sporting News Freshman of the Year during the 1996–97 season.
- Was three-time All American at Paterson Catholic High School in Paterson, New Jersey.[6]
NBA career statistics
Legend | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Regular season
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1997–98 | Philadelphia | 77 | 48 | 23.1 | .447 | .363 | .740 | 3.7 | 1.2 | .7 | .2 | 11.0 |
1998–99 | Philadelphia | 17 | 0 | 11.1 | .403 | .263 | .792 | 1.9 | .9 | .2 | .2 | 4.6 |
1998–99 | Milwaukee | 33 | 26 | 18.9 | .495 | .327 | .614 | 2.8 | .9 | .7 | .3 | 8.5 |
1999–00 | Milwaukee | 80 | 1 | 26.2 | .461 | .346 | .774 | 4.2 | 1.4 | .7 | .4 | 11.8 |
2000–01 | Milwaukee | 76 | 16 | 27.4 | .430 | .412 | .771 | 4.1 | 1.8 | 1.0 | .6 | 12.6 |
2001–02 | Milwaukee | 74 | 22 | 26.9 | .420 | .326 | .793 | 4.1 | 1.4 | .9 | .4 | 11.7 |
2002–03 | Milwaukee | 80 | 70 | 29.5 | .443 | .366 | .780 | 4.9 | 1.3 | .9 | .6 | 13.3 |
2003–04 | Milwaukee | 42 | 42 | 32.0 | .443 | .362 | .762 | 4.9 | 2.1 | 1.0 | .4 | 14.1 |
2003–04 | New York | 24 | 23 | 31.1 | .452 | .406 | .813 | 4.8 | 1.4 | 1.0 | .2 | 15.8 |
2004–05 | New York | 71 | 68 | 27.3 | .439 | .409 | .786 | 3.3 | 1.5 | .6 | .2 | 12.0 |
2005–06 | Chicago | 3 | 0 | 10.7 | .375 | .167 | .000 | 1.3 | .7 | .0 | .3 | 4.3 |
2005–06 | Phoenix | 26 | 10 | 24.4 | .435 | .429 | .667 | 4.9 | .7 | .6 | .2 | 11.0 |
2006–07 | L.A. Clippers | 76 | 24 | 27.0 | .414 | .382 | .708 | 5.0 | 2.3 | .7 | .4 | 11.0 |
2007–08 | L.A. Clippers | 63 | 51 | 30.8 | .413 | .306 | .752 | 5.1 | 2.7 | .6 | .5 | 12.4 |
2008–09 | L.A. Clippers | 10 | 5 | 22.0 | .378 | .300 | .618 | 4.6 | 1.0 | .3 | .1 | 9.5 |
2008–09 | New York | 36 | 1 | 21.5 | .461 | .421 | .806 | 3.1 | 1.3 | .6 | .3 | 9.6 |
2008–09 | Chicago | 18 | 0 | 14.1 | .400 | .442 | .700 | 2.3 | .7 | .3 | .0 | 5.8 |
2009–10 | Dallas | 18 | 1 | 15.8 | .462 | .372 | .875 | 2.3 | .8 | .6 | .1 | 7.5 |
Career | 824 | 408 | 25.9 | .437 | .369 | .758 | 4.1 | 1.5 | .7 | .4 | 11.5 |
Playoffs
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1999 | Philadelphia | 3 | 3 | 20.0 | .444 | .000 | .583 | 4.0 | .3 | .3 | .3 | 7.7 |
2000 | Milwaukee | 5 | 0 | 28.4 | .492 | .333 | .824 | 4.8 | 2.0 | .2 | .8 | 15.4 |
2001 | Milwaukee | 18 | 0 | 26.6 | .448 | .431 | .815 | 4.5 | 1.6 | .5 | .6 | 11.3 |
2003 | Milwaukee | 6 | 5 | 31.8 | .462 | .571 | .719 | 4.8 | 1.3 | .5 | 1.0 | 17.8 |
2004 | New York | 1 | 1 | 22.0 | .400 | .000 | .800 | 5.0 | 3.0 | .0 | .0 | 12.0 |
2006 | Phoenix | 20 | 14 | 31.8 | .491 | .444 | .776 | 6.3 | 1.3 | .9 | .4 | 15.1 |
2009 | Chicago | 2 | 0 | 7.5 | .300 | .250 | .000 | 1.5 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 3.5 |
Career | 55 | 23 | 28.1 | .468 | .436 | .772 | 5.1 | 1.4 | .6 | .5 | 13.3 |
References
- ↑ "There is no doubting Thomas will fill a void". Los Angeles Times. February 21, 2007.
- ↑ Thomas: K-Mart's act is phony. Sports.espn.go.com (2004-04-22). Retrieved on 2012-06-03.
- ↑ K-Mart: Thomas' words mean nothing. Sports.espn.go.com (2004-04-22). Retrieved on 2012-06-03.
- ↑ "Sources: Knicks trade for Bulls' Hughes". Retrieved 2009-02-19.
- ↑ Tim Thomas won't play for Mavericks. Sports.espn.go.com (2010-09-15). Retrieved on 2012-06-03.
- ↑ " HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL;Top Schoolboy Prospect Pressed About the Pros", The New York Times, December 6, 1995. Accessed December 3, 2007.