Kurt Thomas will play in his 1,000th NBA game on Tuesday when the Bulls face the Bobcats.

He will become the 96th player in league history to reach the milestone.

"I broke my ankle four times in a period of two years," Thomas said, referencing the mere 23 games he logged in his second and third NBA seasons. "A lot of people thought my career was over. For me to come back and play and reach this point is a great accomplishment.

"Kevin Willis told me my rookie year and it was his 12th year, 'Kurt, it's going to fly by.' I thought he was just playing, joking. I didn't believe him. But it truly has just flown by. It seems like it's only my third or fourth year in the league."

Thomas, 38, is the second-oldest player in the NBA behind Shaquille O'Neal.