Timothy Mark Thomas (born February 26, 1977) is an American

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

coach and former professional player. He was a highly ranked prospect while playing at Paterson Catholic High School in his hometown of

Paterson, New Jersey Paterson ( ) is the largest City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for the Villanova Wildcats and declared for the 1997 NBA draft after his freshman season. He spent thirteen seasons in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

(NBA) for the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...

, Phoenix Suns,

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...

and

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...

. Thomas serves as the head coach of the boys basketball team at Paramus Catholic High School in

Paramus, New Jersey Paramus ( Waggoner, Walter H, ''The New York Times'', February 16, 1966. Accessed October 16, 2018. "Paramus – pronounced puh-RAHM-us, with the accent on the second syllable – may have taken its name from 'perremus' or 'perymus,' Indian for ...

High school

A versatile forward with a soft shooting touch, Thomas was tabbed as a future NBA star when he was still in high school, and was selected to the

McDonald's All-American McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American multinational fast food chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese chain Mixue Ice Cream & Tea. Brothers ...

team after averaging 25.3 points and 14.5 rebounds per game as a senior at Paterson Catholic High School. He was ranked as the no. 2 recruit in the nation behind only

Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 20-year career with t ...

the two both played in the 1996 High School McDonald's All-American game, the All-Star Magic Johnson Roundball Classic game, as well as AAU which they dominated together. Thomas considered making the jump straight to the NBA from high school, waiting to declare his decision to attend college at Villanova until just days before the deadline to enter the NBA draft.

College career

Thomas made his mark in his one season of college basketball at

Villanova University Villanova University is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine in 1842 and named after Thomas of Villanova, Saint Thom ...

. Joining a future NBA talent-laden team with Alvin Williams, Jason Lawson, John Celestand and Malik Allen, he filled the void of former Big East Player of the Year Kerry Kittles from the year before and helped lead the Wildcats to a Big East regular season title under head coach Steve Lappas. Villanova took second place in the Big East tournament, while Thomas was named to both All-Big East and All-Big East Tournament teams as well as win Big East Rookie of the Year award while averaging 17 points and 6 rebounds per game. Villanova would make the 1997 NCAA tournament but lost in second round to

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, which featured future NFL Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez.

NBA career

Following his freshman year at Villanova, he was drafted seventh overall by the

New Jersey Nets New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

in the 1997 NBA draft and was immediately traded to the

in exchange for the 76ers' draft pick ( Keith Van Horn).

Philadelphia 76ers

Thomas enjoyed a solid rookie season, averaging 11 points per game, and was named to the NBA's All-Rookie Second Team. On February 14, 1998, in possibly the best game of his rookie season, Thomas scored 27 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in a loss against the Nets. The 76ers would grow impatient with a

sophomore slump A sophomore slump (also known as a sophomore jinx or sophomore jitters) is when a sophomore fails to live up to the relatively high standards that occurred during freshman year. It is commonly used to refer to the apathy of students (second year ...

from Thomas, though, and in 1999 he and Scott Williams were traded to the

for Jerald Honeycutt and

Tyrone Hill Tyrone Hill (born March 19, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player and former assistant coach for the National Basketball Association's Atlanta Hawks. Hill spent four years playing collegiately at Xavier University, in his l ...

Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee was enamored with Thomas's raw talent and versatility, and hoped he could blossom into a star with more seasoning. On May 13, 1999, in the deciding game of Milwaukee's first round series versus the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

, Thomas scored 12 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in a 99–91 loss. On March 2, 2000, Thomas scored 26 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in a loss against the Knicks. During the 2000–01 season, he averaged a career-high 13.4 ppg for the Bucks. On January 5, 2001, Thomas connected on eight three-point field goals in the second half of Milwaukee's 119–115 loss to Portland in which he finished with a career-high 39 points. During that year's postseason, on April 28, Thomas scored 18 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in a Game 4 win against Tracy McGrady and the

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NB ...

. The Bucks would ultimately come up short against that season's MVP,

Allen Iverson Allen Ezail Iverson ( ; born June 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "The Answer", he played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as both a shooting guard and point guard. As an NBA rook ...

, in a tightly contested Eastern Conference Finals against the 76ers, Thomas' former team. Nevertheless, after a strong playoff performance that year, Thomas signed a new deal with the Bucks worth roughly $66 million over six years, despite being offered more money by Chicago. Upon signing the deal, Bucks owner Herb Kohl said "Tim is a very vital part of this team, and we were willing to take any steps we needed to keep him in town.″ On January 11, 2002, Thomas scored 25 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in a 105–86 win against the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...

. Four days later, Thomas again scored 25 points, this time in a 106–102 win over the

. The Bucks would miss that season's playoffs, their first postseason miss during Thomas' tenure. On December 9, 2002, Thomas scored 22 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in a 140–133 double overtime win against the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...

. On April 19, 2003, Thomas scored a playoff career-high 25 points in a Game 1 loss versus the

. The Bucks would go on to lose the series in 6 games. During his time with the Bucks, then-teammate

Ray Allen Walter Ray Allen Jr. (born July 20, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Allen played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a play ...

was quoted as saying, "If he wanted to, Tim Thomas could be the best player in the league." While on the Bucks, Thomas was known to wear a customized version of his own jersey that said "Notorious T.I.M." on the back while making public appearances at events.

New York Knicks

On February 16, 2004, Thomas was traded to the

in a three-team trade that also included the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...

. The trade also sent Keith Van Horn, whom Thomas was also traded for during the 1997 draft, from the Knicks to the Bucks, Nazr Mohammed from the Hawks to the Knicks, Joel Przybilla from the Bucks to the Hawks, and Michael Doleac from the Knicks to the Hawks. During game 1 of the Knicks' first-round playoff series against the Nets, Thomas suffered an injury that kept him out of the remainder of the playoffs, when he was fouled by Jason Collins and taken out of the game on a stretcher. The incident started a long feud with Nets forward Kenyon Martin, who Thomas called a fake tough guy, that continued past both players' playing careers. In 2017, Thomas rehashed their feud on an episode of the Scoop B Radio Podcast. Thomas told Brandon Scoop B Robinson that he'd like to settle his feud with Martin once and for all with a boxing match. The proceeds would go to the charity of their choice. Martin declined.

Chicago Bulls

Prior to the 2005–06 season, Thomas was traded to the

, along with Jermaine Jackson, Mike Sweetney, a 2006 1st-round draft pick, a 2007 1st-round draft pick, a 2007 2nd-round draft pick and a 2009 2nd-round draft pick, in exchange for Eddy Curry, Antonio Davis and a 2007 1st-round draft pick. Playing in the final year of his contract, Thomas was given minimal minutes from the rebuilding Bulls. After playing just three games for Chicago, Thomas was deactivated while dealing with ankle and back injuries. After not playing for nearly four months, Thomas was granted his release from the Bulls.

Phoenix Suns

On March 1, 2006, Thomas agreed to terms with the Phoenix Suns to a contract for the remainder of the season. He made his debut with the Suns two days later, scoring 20 points off the bench in a 123–118 win over Orlando. Playing alongside reigning NBA MVP Steve Nash (who won a consecutive MVP award that year), Thomas rejuvenated his career in Phoenix. In the

playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...

, Thomas played a crucial role in the Suns run to the Western Conference Finals. Starting in place of injured All-Star Amar'e Stoudemire (who did not play the entirety of the playoffs), Thomas scored a game-high 22 points with 15 rebounds in a game 1 victory in the first round over the Lakers. In game 6, Thomas hit the game-tying three at the end of regulation and an important three-pointer late in overtime to seal the Suns' win. The Suns won game 7, overcoming a 3–1 series deficit. In the Suns' second-round series against the Clippers, Thomas was credited for his defense on Elton Brand, helping the team to another seven-game series win. In the Western Conference Finals, Phoenix fell to the

in six games. In game five of that series, Thomas "blew a kiss" to Maverick

Dirk Nowitzki Dirk Werner Nowitzki (; born June 19, 1978) is a German former professional basketball player who is a special advisor for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Listed at , he is widely regarded as one of the great ...

, who then proceeded to score a total of 50 points for the game. Thomas expressed an interest in re-signing with Phoenix, though the Suns were over the salary cap and expected Stoudemire to return as their starter.

Los Angeles Clippers

On July 13, 2006, Thomas signed a four-year, $24 million contract with the

. He frequently started in place of Elton Brand and Chris Kaman, though Thomas himself also battled injuries.

Second stint with New York

On November 21, 2008, Thomas and Cuttino Mobley were traded to the New York Knicks, in exchange for

Zach Randolph Zachary McKenley Randolph (born July 16, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Z-Bo", the 2-time NBA All-Star played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans men's basketball, Michigan State Spartans bef ...

and Mardy Collins. In his return to the Knicks, Thomas was reunited with

Mike D'Antoni Michael Andrew D'Antoni (born May 8, 1951) is an American-Italian professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as a coaching advisor for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). While h ...

, who was his coach in Phoenix.

Second stint with Chicago

On February 19, 2009, Thomas was traded again to the Bulls along with center Jerome James and guard Anthony Roberson in exchange for guard Larry Hughes just before the trade deadline. His second stint in Chicago was more successful than his first, as he provided veteran leadership to the young team, helping the Bulls make a late-season push to qualify for the playoffs. Though entering the playoffs as the seventh seed, they were able to push their first-round series against the defending-champion Boston Celtics to a full seven games. On July 14, 2009, the Bulls negotiated a buyout of Thomas's $6.5 million contract.

Dallas Mavericks

On July 28, 2009, the

signed free agent Thomas. In late January, however, he left the team temporarily to take care of his wife, who had an undisclosed illness. In August 2010 Thomas agreed to a one-year deal with the Mavericks worth the veteran minimum. In September of that year, however, he told the club that he would not report to the team so that he could care for his sick wife.

Coaching career

On March 30, 2023, Thomas was named as head coach of the boys basketball team at Paramus Catholic High School in

NBA career statistics

Regular season

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Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

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, 80 , , 1 , , 26.2 , , .461 , , .346 , , .774 , , 4.2 , , 1.4 , , .7 , , .4 , , 11.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 76 , , 16 , , 27.4 , , .430 , , .412 , , .771 , , 4.1 , , 1.8 , , 1.0 , , .6 , , 12.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 74 , , 22 , , 26.9 , , .420 , , .326 , , .793 , , 4.1 , , 1.4 , , .9 , , .4 , , 11.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 80 , , 70 , , 29.5 , , .443 , , .366 , , .780 , , 4.9 , , 1.3 , , .9 , , .6 , , 13.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 42 , , 42 , , 32.0 , , .443 , , .362 , , .762 , , 4.9 , , 2.1 , , 1.0 , , .4 , , 14.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 24 , , 23 , , 31.1 , , .452 , , .406 , , .813 , , 4.8 , , 1.4 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 15.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 71 , , 68 , , 27.3 , , .439 , , .409 , , .786 , , 3.3 , , 1.5 , , .6 , , .2 , , 12.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

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Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, 18 , , 1 , , 15.8 , , .462 , , .372 , , .875 , , 2.3 , , .8 , , .6 , , .1 , , 7.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 824 , , 408 , , 25.9 , , .437 , , .369 , , .758 , , 4.1 , , 1.5 , , .7 , , .4 , , 11.5

Playoffs

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1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

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, 3 , , 3 , , 20.0 , , .444 , , .000 , , .583 , , 4.0 , , .3 , , .3 , , .3 , , 7.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

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, 5 , , 0 , , 28.4 , , .492 , , .333 , , .824 , , 4.8 , , 2.0 , , .2 , , .8 , , 15.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

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, 18 , , 0 , , 26.6 , , .448 , , .431 , , .815 , , 4.5 , , 1.6 , , .5 , , .6 , , 11.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

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, 6 , , 5 , , 31.8 , , .462 , , .571 , , .719 , , 4.8 , , 1.3 , , .5 , , 1.0 , , 17.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

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2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

, style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 20 , , 14 , , 31.8 , , .491 , , .444 , , .776 , , 6.3 , , 1.3 , , .9 , , .4 , , 15.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

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, 2 , , 0 , , 7.5 , , .300 , , .250 , , , , 1.5 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 3.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 55 , , 23 , , 28.1 , , .468 , , .436 , , .772 , , 5.1 , , 1.4 , , .6 , , .5 , , 13.3

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Tim 1977 births Living people 20th-century African-American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportsmen African-American basketball coaches American men's basketball coaches American men's basketball players Basketball coaches from New Jersey Basketball players from Paterson, New Jersey Chicago Bulls players Dallas Mavericks players High school basketball coaches in New Jersey Los Angeles Clippers players McDonald's High School All-Americans Milwaukee Bucks players New Jersey Nets draft picks New York Knicks players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Philadelphia 76ers players Phoenix Suns players Small forwards Villanova Wildcats men's basketball players