Washington Wizards Blog

WIZARDS HEAD COACH EDDIE JORDAN

On his reaction to Etan Thomas’ situation:
“It is certainly a shock, but we have heard of it through the years. You hear about athletes who are well conditioned who have certain health problems that don’t necessarily go along with muscular and athletic. All of our thoughts are with Etan.”

WIZARDS FORWARD CARON BUTLER

On his thoughts about Etan Thomas:
“We’ve been thinking about him ever since we heard the news. We are all hoping for the best and we hope that we get the opportunity to go see him soon. We just can’t wait for him to get back. Whether he’s on the bench, in the locker room, or just around the facility, that would be enough.”

On Etan Thomas off the court:
“He reaches out to the community, goes to speak at correctional facilities, has a gift for writing poetry and is very intelligent. He was one of the team captains even though he wasn’t appointed. He is a strong-minded individual. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family and we just can’t wait to get him back.”

WIZARDS FORWARD ANTAWN JAMISON

On Etan Thomas:
“First and foremost we hope that the surgery goes well, that he recovers, and that they can correct the problem and he gets healthy. Whether basketball is involved is a different story. I pray that basketball is involved because of how much he loves the game and how much he means to this team.”

WIZARDS GUARD ANTONIO DANIELS

On his recent communication with Etan Thomas:
“I let him know that we are really, really praying for him. This hits home for me because I lost my brother from heart problems — a cardiac arrhythmia — so it is very important that we understand the magnitude of what Etan is going through right now.”

More on his encouragement for Etan Thomas:
“Basketball becomes microscopic when you are dealing with a serious health issue. The most important thing is that he is taking care of himself and his family. We want him to know that his other family, the Washington Wizards organization, is here for him if there is anything he needs.”

WIZARDS CENTER TONY MASSENBURG

On Etan Thomas:
“My thoughts and my prayers go out to him and his family. I hope that the procedure is successful and he is able to get back to the level that he was at before the surgery.”

On Etan’s character off the court:
“People say that he is a different kind of guy, but that is a good thing. He is the kind of guy who cares about community issues and politics and he tries to use his status to affect people in a positive way. That is something that a lot of guys in the league could learn and benefit from.”