Local G-League Player Develops Growth On and Off The Court

Photo Credit: Windy City Bulls PR

Windy City Bulls point guard Thomas Wilder discusses expectations for the 2020 season at team's media day

By Joshua M Hicks

Being a professional athlete is a dream that a lot of young people want to become a reality. The Oswego, Ill. native Thomas Wilder, has realized his dream of playing pro basketball, but his success in what’s known as the “G-League” has left him struggling to support his family. Living between Chicago and Michigan, the point guard is preparing for a comeback to professional basketball. Indeed, the road to this lifestyle produced a lot of twists and turns that ultimately had him second guessing his future.

Ever since the he was a kid, Wilder had a basketball in his hands. On his journey to the pros, he opted to choose to use his post-graduate eligibility to play basketball at Quakerdale Prep in Iowa before going to college. The school that was five hours away, his first taste of living away from home.

“I had to grow up a little faster,” Wilder said. “At 16,17 years old on your own, there is nobody waking you up. You have practice at this time, class at this time, and mom is not coming to your bed nudging and waking you up. You have to be responsible in handling your business.”

Wilder’s mother, 49-year-old Erica Barnes, supported his decision to leave home. She was not comfortable with it, but she believes it was the best choice for him to get a taste of independence.

“As a parent, you hope your kids make good decisions,” Barnes said. “I wanted him to feel good about his decision because I let him make his decision.”

Through developing that discipline, Wilder was able to maintain his dream of being a professional athlete. Upon committing to Western Michigan, the only D-I college offer he received, the idea of pursuing a professional basketball career became realistic.

He began to jump start his professional career after his four years of college, making stops playing for the Utah Jazz in the NBA’s Summer League and playing overseas before coming back home to play for the Chicago Bulls G-League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls. Wilder was finally living his dream, making money that was suitable for him along the way. But soon, his journey took a turn that he never expected.

Wilder stopped by for a special edition podcast to discuss his life in and out of the G-League

One night, Wilder was sleeping next his girlfriend at the time, 26-year-old Aneisha Carlisle. She took a pregnancy test while he was resting and woke Wilder up with the news of the pregnancy shortly after receiving the results. From a pregnancy perspective, she feared whether or not the baby will stay and how their lives were going to work out, but Wilder assured love and support.

“[Wilder] is very calm natured,” Carlisle said. “We took it one day at a time, especially with him being in basketball. It was very supportive and we made it work.”

Wilder was excited to be a father, but there were some struggles along the way that he had to endure. As a provider, he wanted to live up to that standard, but money at times was hard to come by. In the G-League, the average salary was $35,000 without taxes taken out, which is what Wilder was making. On top of that, Covid took place, putting his G-League career on hold while he had to have surgery to repair a sports hernia.

Once healed, he went back to playing overseas in an attempt to continue his career while also make more money to provide for his family. But he had to pay the price of not being with his son, which forced him to sacrifice his career and stay home for a while.

Aside from not being able to fulfill everything financially, his lack of physical presence at times took a toll on Carlisle. Coming from a basketball background, she understood how important it was for Wilder to pursue his dream, but she had to make sacrifices while Wilder was constantly on the road.

Having to provide for TJ, she had to take DJ to daycare before going to her full-time job. Then she would pick up TJ from daycare and take care of him at home, all while getting her Masters’ degree to become a kindergarten teacher. With her crazy schedule, she admitted to wishing he was more available to help her in the daily schedule she currently lives.

“[There were support] I was getting from other people that would’ve meant more to me if [Thomas] was present,” Carlisle said. “It’s hard for him to understand some of those things. He does try, and I know that he is overseas with basketball at times. I’m grateful for that, but it’s hard.”

Photo Credit: Wilder Family

(Left to Right) : Aneisha Carlisle, Thomas "TJ or Buddha" Wilder Jr., and Thomas Wilder

Handling the struggles, especially in an era where he was going through an identity crisis without basketball, was difficult for Wilder. His sister, 25-year-old Amri Wilder, recalled a history of times where he was in a slump in college and he would cry because of his will and determination to better himself. With knowledge that he is still dealing with some of that today, she preaches grace to him throughout his identity crisis and aids conversation in helping him with his next steps post basketball.

“Our conversations are rarely about basketball now and days,” Amri said. “It is important to support athletes in different ways because they can’t play sports forever, and they should try to hone into different skills and likes that they have. We talk a lot about that.”

Through it all, Wilder always had support. As he is navigating his new life, he is striving to become a better person every day. He tried different 9-5 job opportunities back home, but it didn’t fit him, so he decided to come out of retirement to continue his dream of professional basketball.

He works out in the afternoons and evenings while handling responsibilities throughout the day, but no matter what, being a father is his top priority.

He admits that he was selfish prior to TJ’s arrival, but he has now learned to be considerate of others' interest, be patient and to live for someone else or something bigger than himself.

“[TJ] is super energetic and loving,” Wilder said. “He’s the best. He makes my day. He needs me right now. He doesn’t even know how much of an impact he has on my life.”