t and happy because its easy to get down.Over the two days

WALTHAM, Mass. -- There are nights when Isaiah Thomas?returns to the Boston Celtics practice facility to get up shots, and when hes finished, he takes a moment to look at the 17 title banners that ring the court and marvel at how he got here.Sometimes Im in here alone, and Im like, man, I play for the Boston Celtics. Im the franchise player for the Boston Celtics. Like, it doesnt make sense, said the 5-foot-9 Thomas, the 60th and final pick in the 2011 draft.But at the end of the day, I dreamed about stuff like that. So even though nobody believed that, I believed that one day it was going to happen. For it to happen and for me to be living my dream, its like every day Im happy.For the start of the season, Nike debuted campaigns for some of its top NBA players. There are posters around Boston that show Thomas driving at the rim with Chicagos Jimmy Butler trying to defend from behind with the headline, Pick me last again.It isnt lost on Thomas that a mere 20 months ago, he wasnt particularly happy. He was a third-string point guard tangled in the Phoenix Suns backcourt spiderweb. Still, it came as a surprise when the team dealt him -- four months into a four-year contract -- to the Celtics in the frenetic final moments before the 2015 trade deadline.Since that day, Thomas has spearheaded Bostons run to consecutive playoff appearances, earned his first All-Star nod, represented the Celtics on stage at the NBA draft lottery, served as the teams primary recruiter in the pursuit of top free agents including Kevin Durant and emerged as the face of one of the leagues most storied franchises. With help from Thomas, the Celtics landed another All-Star this summer,?Al Horford, and are the popular choice to push the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference.Thomas beams with excitement when he talks about the potential for this years squad. But after looking forward, hes presented with a curveball that takes him back: What if the Celtics had never traded for him?Where would I be? I dont know. Probably somewhere else, Thomas said. I mean, the Phoenix thing just wasnt working out. It seemed like they didnt want me as bad as they did when the summertime happened. You never know. I dont know where I would be. Id be somewhere.Would Thomas be the face of another franchise?You never know. I mean, I always felt one day I was going to be, no matter where it was, he said. I dont know. Thats a tough question. I dont know where I would be. Knowing me, things would have worked out somewhere, but who says it would have worked out like it has since I got traded?As the conversation continues, Thomas is still processing the hypothetical. He eventually circles back to the question.I guess if that trade with me didnt happen, and this team never jelled -- everything just came together, slowly but surely, especially having a great coach in Brad Stevens -- if that all didnt happen, then Al Horfords not coming here. Kevin Durants not considering us, Thomas said.And the worlds not talking about the Boston Celtics as being a top-three seed in the Eastern Conference. Thats just fact.Its like a 10 percent chanceOn Feb. 19, 2015, Thomas sat near the back of the Suns bus that was set to take the team to the airport for a flight to Minnesota, where Phoenix was set to open the second half of the season. As the final minutes before the trade deadline ticked off, Thomas hoped the team would make a move to alleviate the backcourt logjam that was making everyone involved miserable.Although Thomas was fairly certain the Suns were going to move publicly disgruntled Goran Dragic, Thomas still phoned his agent to check in as the clock ticked toward 3 p.m. ET. Despite his being just four months into a four-year, $27 million deal, Thomas knew there was a chance he could be moved too.My agent was like, There might be something, but its like a 10 percent chance, Thomas said. And he didnt even bring up Boston.Back at the Celtics practice facility, Ainge had resigned himself to the fact that there simply might not be a deal to be made -- enough so that Ainge phoned Stevens about 10 minutes before the trade deadline and told him the roster was likely going to stay intact. Across the country in Sacramento, Stevens told an assistant to get the players ready for the start of an afternoon practice at Sleep Train Arena.Eight minutes later, Ainge called back. The Suns had re-engaged about a deal for Thomas that Ainge hadnt really considered a possibility because Phoenix had balked a few days earlier when Boston called to see if Thomas were available.On the Suns bus, word arrived that Dragic had been dealt to the Miami Heat. Thomas recalls a sense of relief washing over the bus, as players were excited that the backcourt logjam might ease.The deadline passed, but news about deals was still trickling out. Wright, who had been traded from Boston to Phoenix one month earlier, stood up and announced, IT, you just got traded! Thomas thought it was a joke. A Phoenix assistant coach climbed onto the bus a couple minutes later and confirmed the news.All the Suns got in return for Thomas was veteran guard Marcus Thornton and a 2016 first-round pick (it was Clevelands pick and checked in at No. 28 that year). Suns general manager Ryan McDonough, who cut his teeth in Bostons front office, later admitted, If I could get a mulligan, thatd be it.Gerald Green, who often shared the floor with Thomas in Phoenix during that 2014-15 season, said the two talked often about how they might thrive in the right situation. Green signed with Boston this summer, in large part because of Thomas presence and the Celtics status as contenders in the East. It doesnt surprise Green to see Thomas flourishing.We didnt want to see Isaiah go [in Phoenix], Green said. We were kind of blown away when he got traded because he was really one of the guys that kept the team pumping, on and off the court. So when he got traded, we kind of felt down as a team in Phoenix. We knew he was going to be successful here in Boston. We didnt know just how successful he could be.Just to see him to that point and this point now, I just smile, man. He was a guy that one team didnt want him, two teams didnt want him, and now a team like the Boston Celtics, who have championship aspirations, are just in love with him. It just makes me smile, man. Its kind of like looking at your little brother grow up.Isaiah was what we neededStevens isnt one for hypotheticals, but presented with the question of where Boston would be without Thomas, he admits that Thomas arrival was exactly what this team needed to move forward at that point.Ive never really thought about [what might have happened without Thomas], but it made us different because we had a guy that -- and Ive said this many times -- Isaiah was what we needed, Stevens said. Theres no question about that. And the players around him make him better too. I think he is such a good fit for the guys that are here, and they are such a good fit for him. And thats why it works, right? Hes been great. Its fun having him around.Its easy to forget now, but the Celtics roster was in a constant state of flux during that 2014-15 campaign, in which Boston carried a staggering 40 different players. The roster overhaul really started in December, when the team traded Rajon Rondo, the last holdover from the 2008 title squad, to Dallas in exchange for a package that included Brandan Wright, Jameer Nelson, Jae Crowder?and draft picks.Crowder, used to playoff appearances in Dallas, remembers being leery of what Boston was trying to do, so much so that he confronted Stevens after a practice in January and demanded to know if the young coach was OK with tanking. Stevens was adamant that his lone focus was getting better, and the Celtics, a .500 team through mid-January, started making the sort of progress that calmed Crowder in the month leading up to Februarys trade deadline.That progress also gave Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge confidence to explore moves that had the potential to make the team better at a time when some wondered if Bostons rebuild would be better served by stripping talent and losing games.I think the biggest thing for us was, under most circumstances, [the Suns deal] would be a trade that we would do because of how we felt about Isaiah, all day long, Ainge said. The only downside was we were going to get better in the second half of the year, when there wasnt much hope for us to really contend.That was the biggest question that, ultimately, it came down to. We just liked Isaiah better than a few spots higher in the draft, and we ended up making the playoffs that year, and I think that was good for lots of reasons -- just the morale of the team and our coaches.More than anything, we ended up getting a player thats hard to find in any draft, let alone going from -- what did we pick, 16 that year? If we had not done the deal, we probably would have ended up at maybe 12 or 13, I dont know. And we got Terry Rozier with that pick, whos going to help us this year.Its crazy to see Tom Bradys name on my phoneDespite everything he has accomplished the past 20 months, Thomas is far from satisfied. He is enthralled by the success of others at the pinnacle of their sport. Thats why hes close with boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. Thats why, in a summer filled with adventures, he ranks getting to meet Hall of Famer -- and childhood idol -- Allen Iverson as maybe his biggest thrill. Also, after they exchanged numbers at the Durant pitch in the Hamptons, Thomas now casually exchanges text messages with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.Its crazy to see Tom Bradys name on my phone. It doesnt seem real. Just like playing for the Celtics and being that guy doesnt seem real, Thomas said. Like meeting David Ortiz and him knowing who I am, all that stuff doesnt seem real. Im blessed, man. And I dont take it for granted because a year and a half ago, it was like, I was the third-string point guard. Years before that, I was the 60th pick. A lot has changed, and its been nice.What hasnt changed is Thomas desire to improve. Thomas averaged 22.2 points and 6.2 assists per game last season, and that barely tells the story of how important he was to Bostons offense. Hes eager to prove to naysayers that he can maintain an All-Star level of play and continue to evolve his game. But what matters most to him is proving hes a winner, and his No. 1 goal is to take this team deeper in the playoffs.I just know the great players never get satisfied, he said. Im trying to put my name in the same categories as those players, whether it be Floyd Mayweather, Tom Brady. Im trying to learn from them and use my platform to be able to reach out and have relationships with those great players because I want to see how they think.I dont know it all. I dont know how to win at a high level when it comes to winning playoff series. But I want to learn. I think thats the best thing about the great players: They want to learn, they are willing to learn, and they are willing to get better.The Celtics starters endured some bumps early in training camp while integrating Horford -- mostly because everyone was being too unselfish -- but preseason play suggests the first unit should be one of Bostons strengths. Horford is such an ideal fit for this team, particularly the way he moves the ball offensively, and his back-line defense will help a team that tied for the fourth-best defensive rating in the league last season.Even better, Horfords quiet demeanor allows Thomas to remain in the spotlight. Before preseason games at TD Garden, Thomas was announced last, with Horford coming out a spot before him during starting the lineup.Als an easy guy to coexist with, Stevens said. Theres no question about that.Thomas recognized that more talent was needed to get this team where it wanted to go. He would have been fine sacrificing some of his own spotlight if the team could have hooked Durant, and Thomas wants Ainge to keep swinging for the fences. Thomas knows that more talent helps make the game easier for him. Hes thrilled to have Horford as his new running mate; it even allows Thomas to shoot for loftier goals, individually.I want more. I tell people: I want to be All-Star, I want to be All-NBA, one day I want to be an MVP, he said. Thats not just me talking. Thats goals that I have. Being on the Boston Celtics and being able to win and make the playoffs, those are achievable.Thomas, motivated highly by those who think his All-Star appearance last season was a fluke, has looked very much like a player hoping to get a return trip this February. Through Bostons first three games, Thomas is averaging a team-best 24.7 points per game while shooting 53.1 percent from the floor. Bostons offensive rating is 107.9 points per 100 possessions when Thomas is on the floor.Thomas can become the third Celtics player in the past 50 years to average 24 or more points in Bostons first four games on Wednesday against the Bulls, and would join elite company in Paul Pierce and Larry Bird.Its fair to wonder where Boston would be if that 2015 deadline had passed without activity. How would morale have been after another trip to the lottery? How would the Celtics have added talent without establishing a winning environment?Where would the Celtics be without Thomas? It seems fair to say the future wouldnt look quite so bright.Fake NMD Canada . First off, the fans ripped the Cubbies introduction of a fuzzy new kid-friendly mascot named "Clark". Adidas X_Plr Canada . The third-ranked Ivanovic, who won the event in 2008 and 10, served five aces and broke Wickmayer, also a former winner in 2009, five times. "The result looked easier than it really was," Ivanovic said. http://www.nmdshoescanada.com/y-3-cheap-canada.html . Peter Holland and Brad Staubitz were sent to Toronto on Saturday as the Maple Leafs traded defenceman Jesse Blacker and draft picks to the Anaheim Ducks. NMDs For Sale Canada . The deal is pending a physical, assistant general manager Bobby Evans said. Traded from Seattle to Baltimore on Aug. 30, Morse also can play first base and right field to give manager Bruce Bochy some flexibility in writing his lineup. NMD Canada Sale .C. -- Glenn Howard needed an extra end to move into the Masters Grand Slam of Curling final.When British heptathlete Jessica Ennis won the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, the stadium walls shook with the roar of fans. At the same Olympics, American Ashton Eaton won a gold medal in the decathlon and is heading to Rio as the world-record holder. Fitness empire CrossFit and shows like American Ninja Warrior have revered the sportswomen and men who tackle a variety of events with competitive vigor, morphing many sofa slugs into backyard fitness freaks, one burpee at a time.By many measures, it should be a golden era for track and fields multi-eventers -- the women who tackle seven events in the heptathlon and the men who compete in 10 events in the decathlon. Yet in America, these mind-blowing athletes struggle to get fan attention or sponsor love.There arent crowds for the multis, said Alex Gochenour, a heptathlete at Arkansas who competed at the U.S. trials. Most people dont know much about it.Could the 2016 Rio Olympics be a breakthrough for the brutal and curious events?The decathlon was designed for men in the modern Olympic Games with a mission that was somewhat superhero- and military-inspired. The female counterpart, introduced in 1984, is not much different; its essentially a Wonder Woman contest, with a reward for the single person who can do a variety of disciplines -- the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200 meters, long jump, javelin and 800 meters -- better than anyone else. The renaissance woman of the Olympics.Notoriety of the heptathlon in America surged when Jackie Joyner-Kersee won gold medals in 1988 and 1992. Her high score of 7,291 is still the world record.Which brings us to the big challenge for viewers both in the stands and on television: How do you keep score? The highest score at the end of the two days wins, but many fans complain that tracking the point system is difficult.Calculator difficult.The scoring system has a standard for each event that earns 1,000 points, and there are different formulas that calculate scores for the three different groups of events: running, jumping and throwing. Because 1,000 points is only a benchmark, not the maximum, a heptathlete can earn more than 7,000 points. Whats more, only a handful of spectators even know the seven different standards for earning 1,000 points per event, such as running the 200 meter dash in 23.8 seconds or throwing the shot put 17.07 meters. U.S.A. Track and Field even offers an online tool to spare coaches, athletes and fans the algebra, but figuring out who is ahead as the competition rolls on can make even the most astute of math brains feel lost.Gochenour, who has competed in a variety of multi-events since she was in middle school, said that some of the heptathlons fizzle may also be because for a long time, the pipeline was discouraging, as athletes can feel overwhelmed trying to learn a variety of events at elite levels while trying to not blow out their bodies. Equipment can also be a headache -- athletes often tote several different pairs of shoes with them, each intended for a different event, plus a track teams worth of equipment.Were always those people who are a problem at airports when they use the X-ray machine, Gochenour said.Therees also something of a lag in athlete development, Gochenour said, because many American heptathletes dont begin competing until college: Theres such a learning curve.dddddddddddd. A lot of times, as Americans, were just behind, and by the time you start to figure everything out, your body gives out on you. Theres a give-and-take of learning the techniques without destroying yourself. The reverse may also be true, as some athletes start as one-event specialists, and then add events on and find their talents carry over to a variety of disciplines.Ironically, the versatility can be criticized by spectators who may prefer to watch a specialist in a particular event rather than a heptathlete attempt the same feat. Fans may see the part rather than the whole.I joke a lot and say, Im pretty good at a lot of things, but not one specific thing, said Annie Kunz, a heptathlete at Texas A&M who also competed at the U.S. trials. But thats what I love about it, that it gives you so many opportunities to do well. Nobody can really PR [personal record] in every single event.The heptathlon also can make for strange camaraderie not often seen on television. The athletes who compete against each other for titles, records and medals also spend two days, more or less, hanging out with each other on the field. Its not unusual for them to cheer for each other or offer feedback or support as they compete against each other for a spot on the podium.They regularly talk about trying to beat their own scores rather than each others in a way thats more evocative of weekend warriors tackling a half-marathon than Olympic contenders.The morale with the heptathlon is so different, Kunz said. All the competitors get to know each other and really uplift each other. You know that some people are better at one specific event than another and cheer each other on. If you PR and someone else beats you, you still have a good day. Its a different morale. We all hang out, we joke, we have fun. You have to keep it light and happy because its easy to get down.Over the two days of U.S. trials last month, the heptathletes faced some steady rain and strong wind but were often seen on the track laughing together and exchanging hugs and high fives. Heather Miller-Koch, who finished second, seemed undeterred, more excited about having such a large crowd. It was just great that we were able to put up such big scores considering head winds yesterday and rain today, she said. Its pretty awesome.Ultimately, the trials win went to Barbara Nwaba, a heptathlete with the Santa Barbara Track Club who had finished fifth at the 2012 trials and was the 2016 American pentathlon champion. Shes joined in Rio by fellow Americans Miller-Koch and Kendell Williams. Nwaba is expected to contend for a top podium spot with Ennis and Brianne Theisen-Eaton of Canada (who is married to Americas Eaton), among others.Its definitely going to be an amazing competition at the Games, Nwaba said. But these are girls that Ive competed with, so Ive gotten to know these girls and know what their talents are. ' ' '