Isiah Thomas responds to trash talk from Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell
Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell has seen his star rise in many ways throughout the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
Whether it was making ridiculous three-point heaves or connecting with teammates on silly alley-oops, Nowell’s play-making abilities were on full display against the Michigan State Spartans in the Wildcats’ 98-93 overtime victory to advance to the Elite Eight. Afterwards, Nowell was praised by some serious celebrities, from Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young to the legendary Kevin Durant, but it’s something he said during the game that has the world still talking.
Isiah Thomas, the two-time NBA champion who played for the Detroit Pistons from 1981-1994 and coached the New York Knicks from 2006-2008, was at Madison Square Garden to cheer on the Spartans. Well, Nowell took notice, and elaborated to the media about the mess he was talking to the NBA legend during the game, right before he connected with Keyontae Johnson on a rim-rattling alley-oop in overtime.
“Dang, I’ve got to watch what I say. Yeah, I was talking to Isaiah Thomas because I think he had a friend over there, and he was rooting for them,” explained Nowell. “I’m like, y’all not going to win today, and I just kept looking at him for some added motivation. But it was nothing but cool vibes with them over there.”
As Nowell stated, there was nothing but some good vibes between the Kansas State point guard and Thomas, as the former NBA Finals MVP didn’t hold anything against the Wildcats star, sharing a video to Twitter afterwards congratulating him for his performance.
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“Nowell, you turned it out last night,” started Thomas. “I just wanted to say congratulations to you. 20 points, 19 assists. You put on a show. You did your thing. Everybody was excited. I just wanted to tell you one more thing, ‘Watch this.’”
Of course, Thomas is harkening back to what Nowell told him before the alley-oop, and it’s great to see the former Pistons star being such a tremendous sport about the moment. It truly was a legendary March Madness moment, and one that will live on, especially for Kansas State fans.
Nevertheless, the job isn’t finish for Kansas State or Markquis Nowell, as the Wildcats will now face the Florida Atlantic Owls with a shot at the Final Four on the line. It should be another wonderful game at the World’s Most Famous Arena on Saturday, and there’s no doubt the Kansas State star will hope to put on another show for the fans in attendance.