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Boston Celtics All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas said surgery is not currently the top option for his injured right hip. Thomas missed the remainder of the playoffs after aggravating a right hip injury during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who beat the Celtics 135-102 on Thursday night to advance to another NBA Finals to meet the Golden State Warriors.
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Thomas told reporters Friday that he must wait until the swelling subsides in his hip before determining his rehabilitation plan.
"(Surgery is) not the number one option right now, but it could be once the swelling goes down," Thomas said Friday during Boston's exit interviews. "They want to let (the swelling) die down a little bit then take another MRI once everything is down and it's back to normal. We'll go from there. Hopefully I don't have to have surgery, but I know that is an option."
Thomas said there is not a timetable until more tests can be run, but he has full confidence knowing Celtics coach Brad Stevens and president of basketball operations Danny Ainge will keep in mind the best path to his long-term health.
"I've gotta do what's best for me in the long run, what's best for my body," Thomas said. "As Brad continues to say each and every day, it's how you're healthiest for the long run. Even Danny and those guys say that, so that says a lot about who they are as people.
"Most importantly, they care about my health, not just being a basketball player. So the Celtics are definitely behind me in this tough situation, but I mean, nobody's going to feel sorry for me. I just have to keep going and figure out what I've gotta do to come back at the highest level possible."
Thomas initially injured his hip in the third quarter of a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 15, forcing the All-Star to miss the next two regular-season contests.
The 28-year-old Thomas aggravated his specific injury -- officially labeled as a right femoral-acetabular impingement with labral tear -- during Game 6 of the second-round series against the Washington Wizards on May 12. The injury means the ball joint in the hip socket is not moving freely around the cup in which it resides.
Thomas, who averaged 28.9 points per game during the regular season and 23.3 during the postseason, scored 19 total points in the first two games against Cleveland. He played just 18 minutes in Game 2 while playing through the lingering pain.
LeBron James, who scored 35 points on Thursday night in Game 5 as the Cavaliers finished off the Celtics, expressed his admiration for Thomas after the two stars embraced on the court.
"Throughout the series, I didn't get the opportunity to have that moment (with Thomas)," James said Thursday night. "I know I said a few things in the media about the situation he was going through, but I was happy to see him, give him a big hug from myself and my family.
"Just how tough and determined the guy is, to be able to go through the situation he was going through on a day-to-day basis, still being focused and maintaining his focus for the team, you know, family is everything. Basketball comes second after family. To see him perform the way he was performing in the playoffs under the circumstances, it was a treat to watch. A lot more words to say, but that's the gist of it."
