Former Washington Huskies star Isaiah Thomas ready for NBA comeback after hip surgery

Former Washington Huskies basketball star Isaiah Thomas believes he’s ready to contribute to an NBA team again.

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The 31-year-old Thomas, a two-time All Star, revealed in an Instagram post this week that he had surgery on his right hip, where he’s battled a bone-on-bone issue the last three years. Thomas said he had the procedure done back in May and that he now feels “amazing.”

“The country’s stoppage was a blessing in disguise for me in terms of allowing me to have the time to recover from this surgery and be mentally & physically ready for the upcoming 2020-21 NBA season,” Thomas wrote. “My story is far from over.”

Thomas’ hip issues derailed what was supposed to be the prime years of his career. The last pick in the 2011 draft, Thomas rose to become one of the NBA's most clutch players, named second-team All NBA in 2016-17 after averaging 28.9 points per game with the Boston Celtics. But his hip issues started with an injury in the playoffs that year.

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Thomas was then traded to the Cavaliers that offseason, dealt again in February of the following year to the Los Angeles Lakers, then signed successive one-year deals with the Nuggets and Wizards before getting waived following a three-way trade to the Clippers. He’s been written off the last few years.

Following hip surgery, Thomas hopes to change that.

"It's like night and day for me," Thomas told ESPN in a story published earlier this week. "There's no more pain. I've got my full range of motion. For three years, I was trying to play the best players in the world on one leg. I needed help from my kids to put my socks on in the morning.

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"Now, I can lift weights. I can squat low. I can work out twice a day. I'm able to cut and move and stop, able to cut and go. I feel like I'm 31 years old again. And now, I have scientific evidence to show that. ... I'm anxious to show people I can contribute to a team again."

Thomas, who’s played nine seasons in the NBA, starred at Washington for three seasons before turning pro. He also played at Curtis High School in University Place.

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Ben Arthur covers sports for SeattlePI. He can be reached by email at benjaminarthur@seattlepi.com. Follow him on twitter at @benyarthur.