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Having captured the top seed in the Eastern Conference and heading into the playoffs with a healthy roster, things took a sudden turn for Boston Celtics star Isaiah Thomas, who found out of the death of his sister, Chyna, on April 15 — a day before the start of the 2017 postseason.
With a heavy heart, Thomas decided to play through it, losing the first two games at home against the Chicago Bulls, but eventually rallying around his team and coaching staff to take the next four games straight.
On Saturday, Thomas attended his sister's funeral in his native Washington, expressing his words of sorrow and raw pain which he initially felt upon hearing the news.
“When I found out the news I wanted to give up and quit,” Thomas said when coming up to speak at the podium. “And never in my life have I ever thought about quitting. I realized quitting isn’t an option. That’s the easy way out. I will keep going for my sister as I know she wouldn’t want me to stop. I love you Chyna and I miss you so much. And everything I do for the rest of my life will be for you. I love you, girl.”
Thomas flew back to Boston overnight, rejoining the team for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Washington Wizards. The 5-foot-9 whirling dervish snapped out of his shooting funk, dropping 33 points, nine assists, and five three-pointers during the Celtics 123-111 win.
In his post-game press conference, Thomas dedicated his missing tooth and the game to his little sister, saying everything he does from now on would be to honor her.
