Etan Thomas is now known as an author and being a motivational speaker trying to make an impact on society. Some people may remember Thomas as an NBA player.

Thomas spent nine seasons in the NBA playing for three teams. After his career was over, he found a new profession and wanted to be involved in political activism and other social causes.

Etan Thomas had a successful college career

Thomas played his college basketball at Syracuse University. He spent four years at Syracuse and improved a lot from his freshman year. When he came in as a freshman, he played in 25 games and averaged 5.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. He made a big improvement the next year. As a sophomore, he saw his points per game increase to 11.3 points per game and was one of Syracuse’s top players. He was named the Big East Most Improved Player at the end of his sophomore year.

As a junior, Thomas was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year. He averaged 12.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4 blocks per game. Thomas was a defensive threat on the court, and it was a challenge for opponents to get a shot off against him. He continued to have success as a senior. Thomas was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive year. That season he averaged 13.6 points, which was a career-high and averaged 9.3 rebounds and 3.7 blocks.

Thomas was named First-team All-Big East, and he was named a third-team All-American as a senior. After his college career, Thomas entered the NBA draft. During the 2000 draft, the Washington Wizards selected him with the 12th overall pick.

Etan Thomas playing in the NBA

At 6-foot-10, Thomas primarily played the center position during his time in the NBA. In his first year with the Wizards, he played in 47 games coming off the bench and averaged 4.3 points and 3.9 rebounds. During the 2004-05 season, he had one of the best seasons in his career. He averaged 8.9 points and 6.7 rebounds, which were both career highs for Thomas.

Thomas played most of his career with the Wizards, and he was forced to miss the 2007-08 season due to a heart condition. He returned the next season and played in a limited amount of games. Thomas finished his final two seasons playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Atlanta Hawks. He finished his NBA career averaging 5.7 points and 4.7 rebounds.

Etan Thomas, an author, activist and motivational speaker

In 2005 Thomas released a book of poetry titled More than an Athlete: Poems By Etan Thomas. In the book, Thomas talked about issues on racism, abortion, and the Death Penalty. After his playing career was over, he co-authored the autobiography Fatherhood: Rising to the Ultimate Challenge. In the book, Thomas talks about him growing up without a father and the importance of fatherhood.

Thomas wrote multiple books and is still an advocate for athletes playing a role and joining the conversation on race, politics, and civil rights. He’s appeared on different shows and spoke and many events regarding various topics about activism around the world.