Thomas finally pays price for gritty dedication
Celtics star might need surgery after playing with injury.
Isaiah Thomas pushed his undersized body — and the Boston Celtics — as far as he possibly could.
Battling a hip injury the past two months and then playing through the darkest period of his life, he proved an inspiration while dedicating his performances to his sister, who was killed in a car crash.
Thomas left it all on the floor, and paid the price.
The All-Star point guard’s season is over, and his team is likely to soon follow. The Celtics trailed the Cavaliers 2-0 in the Eastern Conference finals heading into Game 3 on Sunday night in Cleveland.
Thomas didn’t travel with the Celtics, staying in Boston so he can visit hip specialists. Before Sunday’s shootaround, Celtics coach Brad Stevens said Thomas may need surgery for the hip impingement, which has been bothering him since March.
The injury was so severe that Stevens said he was surprised Thomas was able to play Game 7 of Boston’s semifinal series against Washington. Thomas got through the first half of Friday’s 44-point loss in Game 2 before the team shut him down.
“There were times where you could see he was really struggling, but probably nothing like the other night,” Stevens said.
Stevens said Thomas pleaded with team doctors to let him back on the court despite the Celtics being down by 40 points in the third quarter.
“I think the best part about it from all of our standpoints was how inspiring it’s been to have a guy that’s done all this and accomplished all this and is willing to literally go out and leave it all out there,” Stevens said.
It’s a jolting finish for Thomas, the speedy 5-foot-9 guard with an uncanny ability to maneuver around much bigger men for layups. For a time, his story captivated the basketball world.
On the eve of the postseason, Thomas’ sister, Chyna, was killed in a single-car accident outside Tacoma, Washington. Thomas received an outpouring of support, while he kept the top-seeded Celtics moving ahead.
Cavaliers: Snubbed in the MVP voting, LeBron James received an award maybe more significant.
James is this year’s recipient of the Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award given by the Pro Basketball Writers’ Association for “outstanding service and dedication to the community.” The award is named after the league’s second commissioner.
The Cleveland star is being honored for his educational work in Akron, Ohio, his hometown. He has helped more than 1,100 at-risk students through his LeBron James Family Foundation, which partnered with the University of Akron in 2015 to provide full scholarships to students who meet eligibility requirements.