Isaiah Thomas’ performance in the aftermath of tragedy almost brought the king of the court to his knees.
LeBron James hailed the Boston Celtics star Monday for the way he played the previous night against the Chicago Bulls in Game 1 of a first-round NBA playoff series. Thomas’ younger sister died Saturday in a car accident, but he played the next day with a heavy heart, scoring a game-high 33 points in the Celtics’ loss.
James extended his sympathies to Thomas and his family, and also described Thomas’ emotional effort as “unbelievable,” according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and Chris Forsberg.
LeBron James sends his sympathies to Isaiah Thomas: “He was unbelievable in [Game 1].” (via @mcten) pic.twitter.com/kZKcD6LEBZ
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) April 17, 2017
James has experienced a lot of what basketball has to offer during his 14 years in the NBA. But Thomas clearly showed him something new by doing his job well when others might have understandably declined to play.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
