Retired Celtics star Isaiah Thomas mourns death of elder sister with emotional tribute
Former Boston Celtics star Isaiah Thomas has been through a lot, both on and off the court. Once considered one of the best scorers in the game, the tweener guard recently suffered a grave personal tragedy.
Just seven years after losing his younger sister, Chyna Thomas, the former Sacramento Kings guard lost his elder sister, LaQuish Baldtrip.
As reported by Kit Espina on X, the former All-Star shared some pics on Instagram to honor her departed sister.
“Ima miss you big sis!!!!! Damn how you leave me too? 2 sisters gone!!! This can’t be real. I love and miss you queen,” Thomas wrote on Instagram.
Isaiah Thomas grieves the loss of another sister
Thomas isn't a part of the league anymore. Even though not much has been disclosed about his elder sister's death, this is reminiscent of 2017 when he lost his other sister.
Chyna Thomas suffered a Federal Way accident on 1-5 at just 22 years old. Thomas was just about to play for the Celtics in the playoffs, and he was visibly worn down by this tragic event:
“My teammates didn’t know how to interact or act around me. The energy of what we built the last two years kind of got thrown out the window just because I was going through a real-life situation. Physically, I was there. Mentally, I was back at home,” Thomas said back in January in an appearance on the "View From The Rafters" podcast this year.
Thomas overcame the odds by becoming an NBA All-Star despite his height – or lack thereof. Back in 2017, he even led the league in fourth-quarter scoring, and his offensive outbursts helped the Celtics be one of the teams to beat in the Eastern Conference.
Unfortunately, a back injury and a trade shortly after his sister's passing took a big toll on his game, and he was never able to get back to his former level.
Thomas has attempted many comebacks ever since. While he's gotten a couple of 10-day deals, he's not likely to get another opportunity to stay on a roster for a full season or play heavy minutes for an NBA team in the future.
Needless to say, basketball might be the last thing going on in his mind right now. One hopes that the former NBA star finds the strength to deal with his bereavement.