Isaiah Thomas not holding any grudges in his return to TD Garden


Even though he was inactive for the game, Isaiah Thomas' return to Boston was something to remember. Isaiah and the city of Boston have a mutual love for each other, and his departure from the team hasn't changed any of that. Although he was understandably upset after the trade, IT returned to his former city for the first time on Wednesday with no hard feelings with anyone.

Isaiah requested that there would be no tribute video in his return to TD Garden, and the Celtics agreed to his demands. That didn't stop them from panning the jumbotron camera onto IT for fans to praise him, though. When Celtics fans saw Isaiah, they showered him with cheers and a nice Standing ovation:



I'm so glad that there were enough real fans in the arena - I know some "fans" who are mad at Isaiah for being a traitor or playing with LeBron or some other nonsense, which makes no sense at all. He did absolutely nothing wrong and deserved all of the praise he received from the crowd.

It has already been clear how Isaiah feels about the city of Boston and the Celtics organization, but he reiterated his love again on Wednesday:



While most of Isaiah's teammates from last season are no longer with the Celtics, the ones who are left had some great things to say about the great player and man that Isaiah is. ESPN.com's Chris Forsberg captured the praise that Al Horford, Marcus Smart, and Jaylen Brown have for IT:

"He's still part of the Boston family," said Celtics guard Marcus Smart, one of only four teammates remaining from last season's roster. "That playoff run. Everything that he was going through, personally, and yet he was still coming out here and giving it everything he had. That meant a lot to us as a team."

Echoed center Al Horford: "It made me respect him even more. When I got here, I knew of Isaiah. I played against him in the playoffs, good player. But after playing with him for one year, it just took me to another level with my respect level for him."

"Isaiah is family to me, man, and he's helped me in probably ways that he doesn't even know. I can't wait to welcome him back."
-Celtics F Jaylen Brown, on Isaiah Thomas' return to Boston

Both Isaiah and the Celtics players from last year's roster will cherish the run they had together. Despite being on rival teams who will likely be competing to represent the East in the Finals, there's nothing but love to and from the former Celtic All-Star. Just look at these photos:



IT has even forgiven the guy who backstabbed him, Danny Ainge. If you ask me, that is saying a lot. I respect the hell out of Isaiah for seeing Danny's trade as a business move from a businessman (even if IT thinks it's the wrong one). Although, Isaiah was (jokingly) still upset that he didn't get a Christmas card from him:



He may not have been here long. He may not have won a championship here. But Isaiah Thomas' time in Boston will never be forgotten, and his return on Wednesday night only strengthened that.


Follow Erik Johnson on Twitter: @erikjohnson32

Photo via Getty Images

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