#33 Etan Thomas
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6'9" 245 lbs Center
HS: Booker T. Washington Tulsa, OK
Born: 4/1/1978 Harlem, NY
Season Stats
Season Cl Pos G GS Min FG FGA % FT FTA % 3Pt 3PA % Asst Reb DReb OReb Fls DQ TO ST BS Pts PPG APG RPG
1996-97 Fr F/C 25 12 408 55 103 53.4% 33 71 46.5% 0 0 ---
 3 105 53 52 58 1 33 9 48 143 5.7 0.1 4.2
1997-98 So C 35 35 1011 144 236 61.0% 109 178 61.2% 0 0 ---
 15 230 143 87 99 3 58 28 138 397 11.3 0.4 6.6
1998-99 Jr C/F 33 33 913 148 240 61.7% 109 190 57.4% 0 0 ---
 17 243 148 95 92 1 56 27 131 405 12.3 0.5 7.6
1999-00 Sr C 29 29 940 148 246 60.7% 99 146 67.8% 0 0 ---
 16 269 169 100 92 1 59 22 107 395 13.6 0.6 9.3
Career    
122
109
3272
495
825
60.0%
350
585
59.8%
0
0
---
51
847
513
334
341
6
206
86
424
1340
11.0
0.4
6.9

Etan Thomas was a dominating defensive center for Syracuse basketball for four seasons. He was an outstanding shot blocker, an extremely strong player who defended his opponent well. Thomas had excellent hands, and became a strong inside scoring presence for the Orangemen. Thomas never had a decent Etan Thomas Syracuse Orange Basketballperimeter shot (he never even attempted a three point shot in his college career), but he was outstanding in the low post scoring 60% of the time. Despite his size and strength, Thomas was a solid though never outstanding rebounder until his senior year. He was known as Derrick Thomas while he was being recruited and during his freshman season, using his middle name instead of his first name. He switched to Etan his sophomore year.

Thomas was an occasional starter his freshman season, primarily backing up senior center Otis Hill and junior forward Todd Burgan. He had the dubious distinction of fouling out in only seven minutes against Georgetown.[1] With the departure of Hill, Thomas would become Syracuse's starting center his sophomore season, and he immediately let the Big East know about his presence with 138 blocked shots, and would be the Big East's Most Improved Player. He added a strong ability to get to the basket for high percentage shots, something he would maintain for the rest of his college career.

Thomas would have similarly strong seasons his junior and senior years, gradually improving his overall game each year. He was named to the Big East 3rd team his sophomore season, the 2nd team his junior season, and the first team his senior season. He would be the first Syracuse player to win the Big East Defensive Player of the Year, and would earn the distinction in back-to-back seasons his junior and senior year. His senior season he would help the Orangemen win the Big East regular season championship, and would lead the team in scoring and rebounding.

Thomas would be drafted by Dallas Mavericks in the 2000 NBA Draft with the 12th overall pick in the 1st round. Thomas would have a toe injury his rookie season and miss all the games. Midway through that season he was traded to the Washington Wizards for Juwan Howard.

Thomas would be a solid reserve at forward for the Wizards from the 2002 season 2006. In the 2006-07 season he would be a starter. He and teammate Brendan Haywood would get in several publicized fights with one another during the season.

NBA Career Statistics
Season Team Pos G Min FG FGA % FT FTA % 3FGA 3FGM % Asst Reb Fls DQ TO ST BS Pts PPG APG RPG
2001-02
Washington
 F
47
618
81
151
53.6%
41
74
55.4%
0
0
---
6
181
76
26
17
35
203
4.3
0.1
3.9
2002-03
Washington
 F
38
513
61
124
49.2%
60
94
63.8%
0
0
---
3
165
66
33
8
23
182
4.8
0.1
4.3
2003-04
Washington
 F
79
1901
257
526
48.9%
191
295
64.7%
0
0
---
68
528
219
113
36
123
705
8.9
0.9
6.7
2004-05
Washington
 F
47
976
128
255
50.2%
76
144
52.8%
0
0
---
20
244
133
50
17
51
332
7.1
0.4
5.2
2005-06
Washington
 F
71
1116
131
246
53.3%
75
125
60.0%
0
0
---
14
279
148
51
20
68
337
4.7
0.2
3.9
2006-07
Washington
 F
65
1246
159
277
57.4%
77
138
55.8%
0
0
---
29
377
162
71
22
89
395
6.1
0.4
5.8
2007-08
Washington
 DNP
0
0
0
0
---
0
0
---
0
0
---
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
---
---
---
2008-09
Washington
 F
26
306
32
66
48.5%
16
23
69.6%
0
0
---
6
66
35
18
3
18
80
3.1
0.2
2.5
2009-10
Oklahoma City
F
23
321
31
68
45.6%
13
22
59.1%
0
0
---
1
64
39
18
4
16
80
3.3
0.0
2.8
2010-11
Atlanta
 F
13
82
10
21
47.6%
12
15
80.0%
0
0
---
2
23
11
5
1
4
32
2.5
0.2
1.8
Total
   F
409
7,084
890
1,734
51.3%
561
930
60.3%
0
0
 ---
149
1,927
889
-
385
128
427
2,341
5.7
0.4
4.7

Thomas was diagnosed with valve leakage in his heart in the fall of 2007, and would have open heart surgery. This would sideline him for the 2007-2008 season. The next season he would return, but a knee injury would limit his season. In 2009 he was traded to Minnesota in the off season, and then from Minnesota to Oklahoma City, where he would play for the year. He was released after the season, and would play for the Atlanta Hawks in 2010-2011, and released after the season.

Thomas was named to the Syracuse University Basketball All-Century Team in 2000, and the Vic Hanson Medal of Excellence winner in 2013. In March of 2005, Thomas published a book of poetry entitled 'More Than Just an Athlete'. In 2012 he wrote a second book entitled 'Fatherhood: Rising to the Ultimate Challenge'.

©RLYoung 2006-2012, 2014, 2022

[1] Mike Waters, Syracuse.com, "Syracuse's 1997 win over Georgetown; aka the Donovan McNabb Game"