WASHINGTON — Etan Thomas has gone from cleaning the glass for the Washington Wizards to cleaning up his community.

Thomas spent seven NBA seasons in Washington (2001-09, sitting out a season for health reasons) as a backup center, but the indelible impact he left on the D.C. community was mainly off the court. It was in D.C. that Thomas made a name for himself as a poet and social activist, and that work continues now in his retirement from pro basketball.

Thomas spoke to WTOP about his latest venture “The Rematch,” his podcast for The Players Tribune. Thomas also touched on his work with incarcerated youth, the NFL’s approach to the Colin Kaepernick situation, the future of the present-day Wizards (“I don’t think that Cleveland really wanted to see the Wizards in the playoffs,” he said) and his unique take on the upcoming NBA Finals.