Isaiah Thomas was on the Patriots sideline Saturday night


As the Patriots got ready to take on the Houston Texans on Saturday night, Isaiah Thomas took in the pregame festivities at Gillette Stadium from the Patriots sideline with his son.


That autographed jersey he's wearing came from Tom Brady himself, as the two have become friends after meeting in the Hamptons at the Celtics' pitch to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Isaiah said that Brady sent him the jersey earlier this week, and that the two speak often. Via Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe:

“When I got the jersey, I texted him that I appreciated it and he said, ‘Any time. Keep playing great and keep being you,’ ” Thomas said. “I just text him after most of his games because they’re all great games. And this week I hit him and said I’d be at the game and he was like, ‘We need this one.’ ”

Thomas is a well documented Seattle Seahawks fan, as he grew up in Washington. Apparently some of his fellow Seahawks fans were none to pleased after seeing him on a rival sideline, particularly the Patriots one:


Thomas acknowledged as much, but said he really enjoys being around that winning culture the Patriots have created and continue to sustain. Via Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald:

“I got a lot of backlash for switching up,” said Isaiah, who is also a big Seahawks fan and attended that team’s walkthrough Friday in Atlanta. “But it was good. Just to be on that field and be around (the Patriots), you could tell they’re just focused on winning a championship, winning a Super Bowl. You want to be around those type of players.”

Isaiah wasn't the only Celtic at Gillete, as coach Brad Stevens took in the game with both his father and son. He joked that although he took in the game with most fans and braved the cold, he saw Thomas sitting in a nice warm luxury box after the game started:

“I was there last night,” said coach Brad Stevens. “They showed Isaiah. I think he was sitting in his suite. I told him I was sitting outside and I enjoyed it.

It's a little change of pace seeing Celtics players on the Patriots sideline, as we're so used to seeing Patriots and Red Sox players taking in the C's games. One player in particular whose become a fixture at the TD Garden has been Patriots running-back LeGarrette Blount, who made sure to stop by and say hello to Isaiah before the game:


It's always cool to see the local teams supporting each other. A lot of these guys come from all over, grew up as fans of other teams, and yet still end up bonding with players on the other local franchises. I'm sure it happens everywhere, but we definitely see it a lot in Boston.


Follow Mark on Twitter: @MarkAL410