Isaiah Thomas: Playing Through Hip Injury Helped Numb Grief for Sister Who Died

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Isaiah Thomas is out for the remainder of the season after undergoing hip surgery, but he said he still doesn't regret playing through a torn labrum as a member of the Boston Celtics last year.

Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times shared the news, noting Thomas said playing was the only thing that helped him deal with the death of his sister, Chyna:

Chyna died in a single-car accident in April 2017 right as the Celtics were set to open their playoff run.

Thomas was eventually ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs when Boston was in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers as he re-aggravated the torn labrum injury he suffered in March of that year.

The University of Washington product was brilliant in 2016-17 for the Celtics and averaged a career-best 28.9 points and 5.9 assists per game behind 37.9 percent shooting from three-point range. He earned second team All-NBA recognition as Boston finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference.

However, the Celtics traded him to the Cleveland Cavaliers prior to the 2017-18 campaign for a package that included Kyrie Irving, and he struggled to overcome the physical setback and find his fit on the defending Eastern Conference champions. Cleveland ultimately shipped him to Los Angeles prior to the trade deadline.

Thomas averaged a mere 15.2 points a night behind 29.3 percent shooting from deep for the Cavaliers and Lakers this season and never recovered his form from his time on the Celtics.

The injury concerns add another layer to his impending free agency this summer, but he explained he doesn't regret his decision to keep playing for reasons beyond basketball.