It’s hard to find a Boston Celtics player who captured the hearts of fans in such a short amount of time more than Isaiah Thomas. Thomas spent more than two seasons in Boston, where he had the only two All-Star seasons of his 11-year NBA career and became the team’s undisputed leader.
Standing 5 feet 9 inches tall and selected as the final pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Thomas was never given anything. The skeptics were always there. Everything worked out in Boston for the point guard after the Celtics acquired him in a February 2015 trade from the Phoenix Suns. With Boston, he quickly became a fan favorite.
Not only did Thomas average 22.2 and 28.9 points in his two full seasons with the Celtics, but no one gave more than the man known as “IT.” That became apparent during the 2017 NBA Playoffs that began a day after the unexpected death of Thomas’s younger sister, Chyna.
Thomas battled through emotions, heartbreak and flying back and forth across the country to attend Chyna’s funeral and play for the Celtics. On May 2, 2017, a mentally and physically exhausted Thomas did what very few could do. He scored 53 points in an overtime playoff victory over the Washington Wizards on what would have been Chyna’s 23rd birthday.
In honor of the Boston Celtics’ 17 championships, we’re highlighting 17 signature moments, both good and bad, that took the Celtics from a dismal 22-38 BAA debut in 1946-47 to the current iteration of the all-time mighty franchise. life that is now coming off an appearance in the NBA Finals. The 17-part series on the Celtics’ championship history will span the summer and take us to the start of the 2022-23 NBA season, one that Boston hopes ends with Banner No. 18.
Isaiah Thomas scores 53 points in emotional playoff effort against the Washington Wizards
It’s hard to even imagine what Thomas was going through during the 2017 playoffs. Somehow, he found a way to play in the first round against the Chicago Bulls. The day after Chyna’s death, Thomas had 33 points, six assists and five rebounds in Boston’s 106-102 loss to the Bulls. The Celtics lost the first two games of the series, but won the next four to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Immediately after Boston’s Game 6 victory over the Bulls, Thomas flew to Washington to attend his sister’s funeral. He quickly returned just in time for Game 1 against the Wizards and put up 33 points in a 123-111 victory.
It was in Game 2 that Thomas had his signature moment.
