Thomas the ‘heart and soul’ as Bolts seek title

Terry Thomas was named Sixth Man of the Year by the NBL of Canada this week. The veteran has provided a bit of everything this year for the Lightning: scoring, defense, and a whole lot more.

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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Prior to the season, Terry Thomas spoke with Lightning head coach Doug Plumb about the veteran forward’s place on the team. Thomas requested to come off the bench as he didn’t want to ruin any chemistry already established.

“Usually, I’m a starter. But I didn’t mind taking a backseat because all these guys had played together,” he explained. “I didn’t mind coming off the bench because I knew we would need some energy. I was just trying to fit in and that’s what the team needed at that point.”

Not all players are willing to accept sixth-man duties – and perhaps even fewer request the role if starting is a possibility. For Thomas, however, the opportunity to play in London meant being on a championship-calibre team while also being near his daughter.

“This was a good team already. We have a lot of good players, so it wasn’t like difficult for me to take a bench role. I don’t have too much pride to always need to be ‘the guy.’”

So much for not being ‘the guy.’

On Tuesday, the veteran Canadian forward was named NBL Canada Sixth Man of the Year – a well-deserved honour for a standout star who has become the “heart and soul” of the league’s best team.

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“This is not my first rodeo.”

That’s true. Debuting in the NBL’s 2015-16 season, Thomas has made stops with the PEI Island Storm, Moncton Magic, and Halifax Hurricanes. His first stint with the Lightning only lasted two games before an Achilles injury sidelined him for the remainder of the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season.

Since rehabbing from injury, Thomas, 30, played in Finland, Venezuela, and Chile, during the pandemic, before returning home to Canada.

Thomas started the season as the league’s best sixth man, even winning Canadian Player of the Week honours in the second week of the regular season. (He would win the award again in each of the final two weeks of the regular season.)

But as the year wore on, Thomas’s minutes climbed progressively – and then injuries struck the team. Thomas came off the bench for the first 13 games of the season, but then started 9 of the next 11 games, including six straight to close the regular season.

“This year, we took care of business. We got first place. We got home court advantage. We’ve been feeling pretty good going into the postseason,” Thomas said.

“I kind of stepped up and did my job. I love playing, and Doug knows who I am and how I play, so I could pretty much fit every role.”

And what he did in the regular season he has continued into the postseason.

So far in the playoffs, Thomas has started both games against the Windsor Express. And he’s gone double double-doubles thus far. After posting 12 points and 14 rebounds in Game 1, Thomas followed that up with 21 points and 12 rebounds in 46 minutes of floor time in Game 2. On Tuesday night, London took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series with a 107-97 win over the Windsor Express at the Bud.

“Terry is as tough as they come,” Plumb said after Game 2. “He’s playing through a wrist injury right now, and he’s not shooting well, but he’s relentless, absolutely relentless. Night in and night out, I play this guy 40 minutes. He’s a dog defensively. He has become the heart and soul of our team. He personifies that grit I try to get these guys to embody.”

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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In 2022, the Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, native entered the NBL Canada’s Top 10 list for all-time scoring during one of his most balanced seasons ever. He finished the season ranked in the Top 10 for minutes played, field goals and 3-pointers made, total rebounds, rebounds per game, steals, and blocks. His 374 points were good for ninth in the league. In his sixth NBL Canada season, the 6-foot-4-inch forward finished averaging 17.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game in 22 games.

“Terry is one of the best Canadians to play in the league in the history of the league,” Plumb said. “This season he has been a pillar for our team. Not only has he performed – and performed when we needed it most – but he has played through injury and ailments all year long. Terry is one of the toughest competitors you will ever meet.”

Thomas played collegiately for both St. Francis Xavier and the University of Ottawa. He has had a decorated Canadian and international playing career. His ever-growing trophy case includes NBL Canada Canadian Player of the Year, Venezuelan League Finals MVP and champion, First Team All-NBL Canada, First Team All-NBLC Defense, and Williams Jones Cup Gold Medalist.

“How much of a treat is it for a coach to have someone like Terry Thomas coming off your bench?” said Audley Stephenson, NBLC VP of Basketball Operations. “His body of work speaks for itself. He’s one of the toughest guys in the league – a warrior, a battler, a guy who constantly gives his all. His game puts so much pressure on the other team that they cannot help but react. He is a true foe.”

Thomas remains a finalist of the NBLC Canadian Player of the Year Award, as well.

He is the third member of the Lightning franchise to win the NBL Canada Sixth Man Award, following Eddie Smith in 2011-12 and Rodney Buford in 2012-13. Previous winners of the award include:

2011-12 | Eddie Smith, London Lightning
2012-13 | Rodney Buford, London Lightning
2013-14 | Kirk Williams, Mississauga Power
2014-15 | Omar Strong, Mississauga Power
2015-16 | Mike Glover, Halifax Hurricanes
2016-17 | Antoine Mason, Halifax Hurricanes
2017-18 | Ta’Quan Zimmerman, Halifax Hurricanes
2018-19 | Jamal Reynolds, Cape Breton Highlanders
2019-20 | J.R. Holder, Sudbury Five