Magic's Paolo Banchero Praises Isaiah Thomas' Resilience, Effort in NBA Comeback Attempt

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero has deep ties to his home of Seattle and fellow professional basketball players from the area. In a recent article, he commented on the resilience of Isaiah Thomas – a fellow PNW hooper with big goals of his own.

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (left) and Isaiah Thomas (right) during Thomas' annual "ZekeEnd" event earlier this summer. / dc7visuals/Instagram

The ties between Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero and longtime NBA veteran Isaiah Thomas runs much deeper than basketball.

It connects back to a love for a city and representation for the city of Seattle – a place near and dear to each of their hearts.

With the young 🐐 @Pp_doesit at the @Mariners game 🏁 pic.twitter.com/Fgu766DFPZ

— Isaiah Thomas (@isaiahthomas) August 6, 2022

Banchero was born and raised in the Emerald City, while Thomas was raised in Tacoma. Banchero often spends time away back in the Pacific Northwest, where his roots are the strongest. Part of that time away this summer included participating in Thomas' "Zeke-End" Pro-Am tournament – an event he holds annually.

At one point, Thomas was one of the NBA's best point guards, earning an All-NBA nod in 2017 and becoming a two-time All-Star. He earned a reputation for coming up huge in clutch moments, as the 5-foot-9 guard earned the moniker "King in the Fourth." But in retrospect, he's a basketball journeyman who has spent time with 10 different NBA teams, and none for longer than three seasons.

Now 35 years old, Thomas still chases the NBA, staying ready for any potential chance that could arise. Despite not playing in any more than 22 games since the 2020s decade began, Hhs commitment to the process, one he's dubbed "the slow grind," has him unwilling to let it go just yet.

He's battled through injury and surgical procedures, including a right hip operation to address a bone-on-bone issue that he'd been dealing with for three prior years. Because all he's known is overcoming obstacles and doing so through the game of basketball, he's not going to stop now.

In a Cronkite News story detailing Thomas' hopeful journey back to an NBA roster, Banchero commented on the resilience of his fellow Seattle-rooted hooper.

"What he did is one of the hardest things to do in sports in the world in general," the Magic's No. 1 overall pick out of Duke in the 2022 NBA Draft said. "When you experience success like that, it's so easy to just, once it's gone or something happens, it's easy to just give it up and be okay with what you already did. To be at the top, and then be at the bottom, and then be out of the league, and then get a surgery then fight your way all the way back. It's unheard of, especially at his height.

"He continues to defy every odd."

that SLOW grind 🏁

📸: @_JordanJimenez pic.twitter.com/ygu2L3ckNc

— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) August 14, 2022

Banchero teamed with Thomas and Malachi Flynn of the San Antonio Spurs during the tournament.

Highlights of Banchero's weekend at ZekeEnd are below.

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