Isaiah Thomas wants to play until he's 40, he told reporters at the Boston Celtics' media day on Monday. That means he has made several adjustments this offseason, the sort of stuff that always sounds great on media day. For example, the 27-year-old Thomas is eating vegetables ... for the first time since he was a kid.
"I changed my diet," Thomas said. "I hired a personal chef back home, and I'm eating vegetables for the first time since when my dad used to make me. I eliminated fast food. You guys have heard it before -- I want to play until I'm 40, and I know it starts with little things like that. Last week I got in contact with Dr. Z [Charles Czeisler] over there at Harvard, the 'Sleep Doctor.' I'm trying to learn how to sleep longer and sleep more. Not only am I going to eat healthier, I'm going to get a lot of sleep. Instead of watching TV and playing video games, I have to learn to get more sleep. That will help me be a better basketball player. Those are the little things I am trying to figure out. The older I get, the more I'm trying to figure those little things out to be a better basketball player. It's not all on the court."
It is a genuinely good thing that Thomas is prioritizing his diet and his sleep. Most players start taking that seriously after they've spent a few years in the league, and it's impressive that Thomas has been so consistent over the course of his career while apparently never eating vegetables. He must have been the NBA's only no-veggie All-Star.
Thomas also said that the Celtics "know we're a special group" and "can compete with anybody in this league, whether it's Cleveland or Golden State." Boston will have to prove that, but maybe Thomas eating his greens is worth an extra win or two.
