Annie Wright School's James Thomas spent the weekend of July 24-26 training alongside 42 other top young players at Paolo Banchero's invite-only P5 Elite Camp in Snoqualmie, a sign the Tacoma point guard's stock is rising fast beyond the 1A ranks.

Thomas, the starting point guard who helped lead the Gators to the WIAA Class 1A state title in 2025, was one of just 12 Seattle-area players selected for the Jordan Brand-sponsored camp at Mount Si High School.

Most of the 43 attendees were rising sophomores and juniors drawn from across the country. The invitation carries a personal thread.

Thomas is the son of Isaiah Thomas, the two-time NBA All-Star who grew up in Tacoma and starred at Curtis High School in University Place before a 14-year professional career.

Banchero, the Orlando Magic forward and 2022 No. 1 overall draft pick, has called Isaiah Thomas one of the mentors who shaped him as a teenager.

Now a rising sophomore listed at 5-foot-10 and 150 pounds, James Thomas already has a highlight reel that backs up the bloodline.

He scored a game-high 35 points with six assists and four rebounds in a February 2026 contest, according to MaxPreps. A VarsityWA profile in January described his ability to "squirt through tight creases, dribble past trouble and do damage around the basket."

Annie Wright reached the 1A state championship game again in 2026 before falling to Lynden Christian. Thomas wore No. 4 for the Gators throughout the run.

At the P5 camp, athletes were divided into six teams and rotated through drills and games. Banchero worked a station himself, sweating alongside the players.

The gym was draped in Jumpman logos, and most campers wore Jordan Heir Series 2 "Oh Sheila" shoes designed in honor of Banchero's grandmother.

Thomas wasn't the only son of an NBA legend on the floor. JJ Crawford, the Rainier Beach rising sophomore and son of Jamal Crawford, also earned an invite.

Crawford led Rainier Beach with 18 points in the 3A state championship win over Lincoln on March 7.

The Gators' 2026-27 season schedule has not yet been released.