There’s been a lot of media hoopla the past few weeks surrounding Isaiah Thomas and his blockbuster trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Kyrie Irving. But last season during the thick of the NBA playoffs, he made headlines for a very different reason.
Just a day after this sister, Chyna, died tragically in a car wreck, Thomas summoned what was left of his already-depleted emotional reserves and decided to suit up for the Celtics for the first game of their opening-round playoff series against the Bulls. It was a heroic effort on his part, and in his fantastic new essay over at The Players’ Tribune on Wednesday, IT opened up about the experience and why he decided to play.
And when I arrived at the arena that night, after Chyna had passed — I was thinking, O.K., I just need that to happen. I need this court to be my shield tonight, I need this court to help me forget. But when I got out there? Man, it’s one of those things … I can’t even describe it. The applause that I got, I can still hear it. People had these signs they made, and I can still see them: THIS IS FOR CHYNA. WE [Love] ISAIAH. That sort of thing. Then they did a moment of silence, the whole arena, in Chyna’s honor. And it was like … man. I just realized, in that moment, that I didn’t need the court to shield me. I didn’t need to block it all out, and pretend I wasn’t grieving. I didn’t have to be alone in this. The whole arena was right there with me. Honestly, it felt like the whole city of Boston was with me.
And at that point, you know, I think it just kind of hit me, like — of course I’ve gotta play. First of all, I’m going to do it for Chyna, and for my family. But then I’m also going to do it for my city. ’Cause what they’re showing me right now, is all I needed tonight: to know I’m not alone. They’re showing me that they’re going through the same thing I’m going through right now. They’re showing me that I’m one of them, and that we’re in this together. So let’s be in this together.
It’s a truly stunning and moving essay that deserves a full read. Thomas goes on to detail just how hurt he was when he found out about the trade but also offered a humorous tidbit about how psyched his son was that he gets to play with LeBron James.
That latter part might be put on hold while he recovers from the hip injury that was the source of much drama between the Cavs and Celtics the past few weeks, but Thomas has never stopped gearing himself up for this new journey.
