Tim Thomas Appreciates Loyalty from Mavs

Dallas stood by Thomas during a rough stretch last season, something for which he’s thankful. From NBA.com: “Thomas missed most of last season, his first with Dallas. Knee surgery sidelined him initially before leaving the team in late January to deal with something much more serious. Thomas’ wife, Tricia, had become ill and Tim requested a leave of absence to care for her and their family. He never returned. He also wasn’t forgotten. Thomas said every one of his Dallas teammates reached out during the trying times, as did players from around the league. Even though he had only been with the Mavericks a few months and played just 18 games, the outpouring of support from all corners of the organization touched him deeply. ‘That was all I could ask for,’ said Thomas, who decided along with Tricia to keep the nature of her illness private. Thomas kept tabs on the Mavericks from their home in Los Angeles. Watching the first-round exit to San Antonio was especially hard. ‘It was about taking care of my wife, but I watched basketball as much as I could and I always kept up with what Dallas was doing,’ he said. ‘I reached out to everybody right before the playoffs and wished everybody well. Of course I watched the playoff games and thought about situations where I could have helped. It was tough to know that the guys were going to war and I wasn’t there to help, but at the same time everybody was reaching out with their prayers for my wife.’ When the offseason rolled around, Thomas’ competitive juices were flowing again. Tricia had improved to the point where she could care for their two daughters and run the household again. Thomas was ready to give it another go.”