Tim Thomas (basketball) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tim Thomas

Thomas with the Chicago Bulls in 2009
Personal information
Born	(1977-02-26) February 26, 1977 (age 48) Paterson, New Jersey, U.S.
High school	Paterson Catholic (Paterson, New Jersey)
Listed height	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight	240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
College	Villanova (1996–1997)
NBA Draft	1997 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7th overall
Selected by the New Jersey Nets
Pro career	1997–2010
Coaching career	2023–present
Career history
As player:
1997–1999	Philadelphia 76ers
1999–2004	Milwaukee Bucks
2004–2005	New York Knicks
2005–2006	Chicago Bulls
2006	Phoenix Suns
2006–2008	Los Angeles Clippers
2008–2009	New York Knicks
2009	Chicago Bulls
2009–2010	Dallas Mavericks
As coach:
2023–present	Paramus Catholic HS
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1998) Third-team All-Big East (1997) Big East Freshman of the Year (1997) McDonald's All-American (1996) 2× First-team Parade All-American (1995, 1996) Second-team Parade All-American (1994)
Career NBA statistics
Points	9,454 (11.5 ppg)
Rebounds	3,379 (4.1 rpg)
Assists	1,272 (1.5 apg)

Timothy Mark Thomas (born February 26, 1977) is an American basketball coach and former professional player. He was a top player in high school in Paterson, New Jersey. Thomas played college basketball for the Villanova Wildcats. He then joined the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1997.

Thomas played for thirteen seasons in the NBA. He was part of teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers, and Dallas Mavericks. Today, Thomas is the head coach for the boys' basketball team at Paramus Catholic High School in Paramus, New Jersey.

High School Basketball Star

Tim Thomas was a very talented player in high school. He was a tall forward who could shoot well. Many people thought he would become an NBA star. He was chosen for the McDonald's All-American team. In his senior year, he averaged 25.3 points and 14.5 rebounds per game.

He was ranked as the second-best recruit in the country. Only Kobe Bryant was ranked higher. Thomas and Bryant played together in the 1996 McDonald's All-American game. They also played in other All-Star games and AAU tournaments. Thomas thought about going straight to the NBA from high school. But he decided to play college basketball at Villanova instead.

College Career at Villanova

Thomas made a big impact in his one year of college basketball. He played for Villanova University. He joined a strong team with other future NBA players. Thomas helped the Wildcats win the Big East regular season title. Their coach was Steve Lappas.

Villanova finished second in the Big East tournament. Thomas was named to the All-Big East team. He also won the Big East Rookie of the Year award. He averaged 17 points and 6 rebounds per game. Villanova played in the 1997 NCAA tournament. They lost in the second round to California, a team that included future NFL star Tony Gonzalez.

Tim Thomas's NBA Journey

After his freshman year at Villanova, Tim Thomas entered the 1997 NBA draft. He was picked seventh overall by the New Jersey Nets. However, he was immediately traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. This trade was for another draft pick, Keith Van Horn.

Playing for the Philadelphia 76ers

Thomas had a good first year in the NBA. He averaged 11 points per game. He was also named to the NBA's All-Rookie Second Team. On February 14, 1998, he scored 27 points and grabbed 6 rebounds against the Nets.

However, his second year was not as strong. In 1999, the 76ers traded him. Thomas and Scott Williams went to the Milwaukee Bucks. In return, the 76ers received Jerald Honeycutt and Tyrone Hill.

Time with the Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks were excited about Thomas's talent. They hoped he would become a star player. On May 13, 1999, he scored 12 points in a playoff game against the Indiana Pacers. On March 2, 2000, Thomas scored 26 points against the Knicks.

During the 2000–01 season, he averaged his highest points per game for the Bucks, with 13.4. On January 5, 2001, Thomas scored a career-high 39 points against Portland. He made eight three-pointers in the second half of that game.

In the playoffs that year, Thomas played well. On April 28, he scored 18 points against Tracy McGrady and the Orlando Magic. The Bucks made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. They played against the 76ers, Thomas's old team, led by Allen Iverson. The Bucks lost in a close series. After this strong playoff run, Thomas signed a new contract with the Bucks. It was worth about $66 million over six years.

On January 11, 2002, Thomas scored 25 points against the Washington Wizards. Four days later, he scored 25 points again, this time against the Indiana Pacers. The Bucks did not make the playoffs that season. On December 9, 2002, Thomas scored 22 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in a double overtime win. This was against the Cleveland Cavaliers. On April 19, 2003, Thomas scored a playoff career-high 25 points against the New Jersey Nets. The Bucks lost that series in 6 games.

While with the Bucks, his teammate Ray Allen once said that Thomas could be the best player in the league if he wanted to.

Joining the New York Knicks

On February 16, 2004, Thomas was traded to the New York Knicks. This was a three-team trade that also involved the Atlanta Hawks. In this trade, Keith Van Horn went from the Knicks to the Bucks. Nazr Mohammed went from the Hawks to the Knicks. Joel Przybilla went from the Bucks to the Hawks. And Michael Doleac went from the Knicks to the Hawks.

During the Knicks' first-round playoff series, Thomas got injured. He was fouled by Jason Collins and had to leave the game. This incident started a long disagreement with Nets player Kenyon Martin. Thomas called Martin a "fake tough guy." This disagreement continued even after both players stopped playing.

Playing for the Chicago Bulls

Before the 2005–06 season, Thomas was traded to the Chicago Bulls. This trade involved many players and draft picks. Thomas was in the final year of his contract. The Bulls were rebuilding their team, so he played very little.

After playing only three games, Thomas was not active due to ankle and back injuries. He did not play for almost four months. Then, the Bulls released him from his contract.

A Fresh Start with the Phoenix Suns

On March 1, 2006, Thomas signed a contract with the Phoenix Suns. He joined the team for the rest of the season. He played his first game with the Suns two days later. He scored 20 points in a win against Orlando.

Playing with NBA MVP Steve Nash, Thomas's career got a new boost in Phoenix. In the playoffs, Thomas played a key role. He started games because All-Star Amar'e Stoudemire was injured. Thomas scored 22 points and had 15 rebounds in a first-round win against the Lakers. In game 6, he made a game-tying three-pointer. He also made an important three-pointer late in overtime to help the Suns win. The Suns won game 7, coming back from being down 3–1 in the series.

In the next series against the Clippers, Thomas was praised for his defense. He helped the Suns win another seven-game series. In the Western Conference Finals, Phoenix lost to the Dallas Mavericks in six games. Thomas wanted to stay with Phoenix, but the team had salary cap issues.

Time with the Los Angeles Clippers

On July 13, 2006, Thomas signed a four-year contract with the Los Angeles Clippers. The deal was worth $24 million. He often started games when Elton Brand and Chris Kaman were out. However, Thomas also dealt with injuries himself.

Second Time with the New York Knicks

On November 21, 2008, Thomas and Cuttino Mobley were traded back to the New York Knicks. This trade was for Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins. When he returned to the Knicks, Thomas was reunited with Mike D'Antoni. D'Antoni had been his coach in Phoenix.

Second Time with the Chicago Bulls

On February 19, 2009, Thomas was traded to the Bulls again. This trade also included Jerome James and Anthony Roberson for Larry Hughes. His second time with the Bulls was better than the first. He helped the young team with his experience. The Bulls made a late push to reach the playoffs. They were the seventh seed but pushed the defending champions, the Boston Celtics, to seven games.

On July 14, 2009, the Bulls bought out Thomas's contract.

Final Stint with the Dallas Mavericks

On July 28, 2009, the Dallas Mavericks signed Tim Thomas. In late January 2010, he temporarily left the team. He needed to care for his wife, who had an illness.

In August 2010, Thomas agreed to a one-year deal with the Mavericks. However, in September, he told the team he would not report. He wanted to continue caring for his wife.

Coaching Career

On March 30, 2023, Tim Thomas was named the head coach. He now leads the boys' basketball team at Paramus Catholic High School in Paramus, New Jersey.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular Season Games

Playoff Games

See also

In Spanish: Tim Thomas para niños