The One Silver Lining to the NBA's Health and Safety Protocol Problem

With the increasing number of players in the league's health and safety protocol, it has opened the door for some blasts from the past, like Isaiah Thomas, to get back in the game.

There has never been a better time than now to be an over-the-hill baller who still has a little game left.

NBA players from the not-so-distant past don’t need to roll up to the nearest YMCA to play ball and reminisce about the good old, pre-pandemic days when they were in the league.

They can have their back-to-the-future moment right now, with NBA teams hard up for adding talent with one roster after another ravaged by players having to enter the league’s health and safety protocol program due to one of the coronavirus variants.

For the sake of clarity, let’s clear up a couple of misnomers right now.

When players enter the league’s health and safety protocol, that does not mean that they tested positive for one of the coronavirus variants.

While that is the most sure-fire way to fall under the league’s health and safety protocol umbrella, players can also be placed there if they receive inconclusive tests (similar to what happened with LeBron James earlier this month) or if they are deemed to have come into close contact with someone who tests positive.

This sucks on so many levels for players, teams and of course, fans.

But one of the few positives has been the potential to see some impactful players from the past, back on the basketball court like former Boston Celtic Isaiah Thomas, a two-time All-Star who recently signed a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.

In his first game with the Lakers, Thomas dropped 19 points in 22 minutes which for those of us who have followed his career since being traded by Boston, was good to see.

Another veteran, C.J. Miles, was added to the Celtics roster on Monday but did not play in their five-point loss to Philadelphia. The Sixers have also been hit hard by players being placed in the NBA's health and safety protocol program. They too added a veteran (Tyler Johnson) to their rosters on Monday.

While most of the new additions will be limited when it comes to court time, here’s what you have to remember.

Their return speaks to the importance of perspective.

The Isaiah Thomas that we knew and loved who could score in bunches, probably isn’t going to do that at the level he did a few years ago.

But his return reminds us all that even when there was no clear path back to the NBA, Thomas and other NBA veterans you see inking these 10-day deals, kept themselves ready.

Of course, getting a call to return to the NBA was the best-case scenario for all of them.

But that wasn’t the driving force behind them continuing to work out and play pick-up games or even play in the G-League (Thomas) or agree to play with a G-League select team (Miles).

They did so in large part because of their love of the game; their desire to compete and frankly, get a little more time working the greatest gig they’ve had.

It’s a lesson for all of us as we gracefully age and transition away from our day-to-day job into an uncertain, murky future that may or may not include a job that we have loved for a long time.

As someone who covered Isaiah Thomas when he played for the Boston Celtics, I can speak for many when I say having him back in the NBA is a good thing.

And when I see a former player like C.J. Miles added to the Celtics roster after having been out of the league the past two seasons, it’s a reminder to us all that even if you’re past your prime, that doesn’t mean your dreams have to be passed by.

As a longtime journalist who for decades survived off of one check from one company, being an independent content creator has allowed me to check off one bucket-list item after another, while still being involved with what I’m passionate about - journalism - while simultaneously navigating through another year in which the coronavirus will significantly impact my life.

The NBA is no exception, with the coronavirus and its variants once again having a significant impact on the NBA for the third consecutive season.

But if there is a silver lining to it, it’s the opportunity created for some players from the past to have their back-to-the-future moment and get a little more runway added to their pro careers in doing what they love to do and are passionate about - playing basketball.