Source: Rich Schultz / Getty
Yesterday, the Boston Celtic’s Isaiah Thomas played in their playoff opener against the Chicago Bulls, just a day after he received the heart-breaking news that his 22-year old sister had died in a car accident.
Thomas’ sister Chyna passed in Washington after a fatal and tragic one car accident where she was reportedly not wearing a seatbelt. The news was given to Thomas before the team’s Saturday afternoon practice.
All eyes were on the point guard after he decided to participate in the team’s playoff opener game against the Bulls… TNT captured vid of Thomas being consoled by his teammate Avery Bradley on the bench before the game.
And we also got to see how Thomas paid tribute to his sister with the messages he wrote on his shoes that said, “Chyna,” “RIP Lil Sis” and “I love you.”
By the time the startling lineups were made, the Celtics announcer called out Isaiah Thomas and the fans showed their love by giving him a standing ovation #NBAPlayoffs #BostonStrong.
Leave it to Charles Barkley to not only put both feet in his mouth, but to play the devils advocate because he had plenty to say about Thomas’ sadden presence at the playoff game.
Barkley said that Thomas’ visible emotion was, “not a good look” and the situation made him (Barkley) uncomfortable.
“I’m not sure what to say- I’m not feeling comfortable with him sitting on the sidelines crying like that,” Barkley said on TNT’s pregame show according to Yahoo Sports. “That makes me uncomfortable. So that tells me he’s not in shape to play. I mean, I don’t know how this night is going to turn out, but to be sitting not he sideline a few minutes before the game, crying, that just makes me uncomfortable for him.”
Of course he wasn’t done voicing his two-cents because he continued with saying, “That’s just not a good look for him, in my personal opinion. I mean, he is clearly devastated, like we all would be if we lost a sibling, but sitting on the sideline right before the game, that makes me uncomfortable.”
Barkley later conceded with saying that perhaps the game was a good distraction for his grief.
The All-Star point guard finished the game with 33 points, six assists and five rebounds in a 106-103 Game 1 loss against the Bulls.
Via:nypost
