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| Jamel Thomas / 1999 Upper Deck SP |
Thomas played for the Nets during the 2000-2001 season alongside Marbury. While he didn't grow up dreaming to play in the NBA with his cousin, it was still an experience he enjoyed.
“Playing [with] my Steph was just like playing in high school together,” Thomas said via e-mail. “We never dreamt about playing together in the NBA, but we both believed that we were going to get there through hard work and respect.”
He felt he had to represent New York City, and his home borough of Brooklyn wherever he played.
“Where ever you go you always have to put on for your city and mine is ‘The Mecca’,” he said. “Playing for your hometown makes you feel like a hero and it inspires the ones that wants to play the game. “
The hard work and respect Thomas had was due to his excellent high school and college experience. His days at Brooklyn's Lincoln High School set him up to achieve bigger things during college.
“During my Lincoln days I had a very good coach who instilled hard work in all of his players,” he said. “I was a good player on the team so I got a little extra attention. While I played for the NYC Gauchos I was able to play small forward my true position. So playing both positions before going to Providence made me a valuable player because I was able to do it all.”
His success in high school and college eventually led him to the NBA where he played against some of the best in the world. The rough basketball scene during the 80s and 90s shaped his mental toughness to play the game.
“During the 80’s and 90’s basketball was very tough,” he said. “You needed heart and skill to play. If you weren’t good other players and older players will let you know and that forces you to work on your game.”
Unfortunately, his career in the NBA only lasted for two years, signing contracts with five different teams. He ultimately found success playing overseas until 2009 in countries like Turkey and Italy.
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