Boston Celtics rookie Carsen Edwards makes a big first impression for someone of his stature.
Isaiah Thomas can relate.
Edwards scored a career-high 18 points off the bench Wednesday night against the Washington Wizards while rocking No. 4, the same number Thomas wore during his successful tenure in Boston.
The 5-foot-11 Edwards then admitted he views the 5-foot-9 Thomas as an inspiration for shorter players like himself. On Thursday, Thomas reciprocated Edwards' respect.
Edwards already is turning heads early in his NBA career: His preseason 3-point barrage against the Cleveland Cavaliers drew the eye of ex-superstar Dwyane Wade, while others have labeled the 33rd overall pick a steal in the 2019 NBA Draft.
But Thomas' endorsement has to be extra special for Edwards considering he faced even more adversity than the Purdue product. Thomas was picked dead last in the 2011 NBA Draft and heard constant concerns about his height before becoming an All-Star in Boston.
Boston Celtics
Find the latest Boston Celtics news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.
Edwards has a much smaller role on Boston's talented roster than Thomas did as a rookie in Sacramento. But here's a stat to consider: Edwards is averaging 16.8 points per 36 minutes, while Thomas averaged 16.3 points per 36 minutes during his rookie season.
Don’t miss NBC Sports Boston's coverage of Celtics-Warriors, which tips off Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET with Celtics Pregame Live, and then Mike & Scal have the call of the game at 10:30 p.m. You can also stream the game through the MyTeams App.