Isaiah Thomas: The Loneliness of Grief
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Welcome to All There Is. Wherever you are in your grief, you're not alone. I was talking with a friend of mine who doesn't listen to this podcast, and he's experienced a number of losses in his life, but he really doesn't want to think much about them, which I certainly understand. He asked me, isn't it depressing to do all these interviews all the time? And I thought about it for a moment, and then I told him the truth, which is it's not. It's sad often, it's emotional, but these are the most real conversations that I have with people. It's one human being connecting with and learning from another about a fundamental experience that we all share. My friend didn't really want to hear more about it, but I was kind of on a roll, so I kept going.
But what is depressing to me, I said, what's depressed me much of my life is not having these conversations, except with myself in my head. The loneliness of that, that to me is what is depressing. I really love the conversation that you're about to hear. It's with Isaiah Thomas. He's a two-time NBA All-Star, and the fact that he's 5'9 inches makes that even more impressive. But what so impressed me about him is his willingness to speak about loss and his vulnerability. Two of Isaiah's three sisters have died. His sister, LaQuisha, died in 2024, and his youngest sister, Chyna, died in 2017 on the eve of the NBA playoffs. She was killed in a car crash in Washington state. She was about to turn 23. The day after China died, Isaiah played in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Chicago Bulls.
He played with China's name written on his shoes, and in 38 minutes, he scored 33 points. A few weeks later, on what would have been China's 23rd birthday, Isaiah scored a career-high 53 points in an overtime victory against the Washington Wizards. I spoke to Isaiah Thomas May 1st, the day before what would have been China's 32nd birthday. Can you tell me about Chyna?
What was she like? Chyna was, man, we were connected like this. Anytime I had to go to the gym, anytime I had basketball tournaments, even if she didn't want to, she was the tag-along. She was everywhere I was, always super positive and super energetic, outspoken, outgoing, and just loving. Tomorrow's her birthday, actually. She would be 32 soon. So she had been to like every game? Everything. Growing up, middle school, high school, college, anytime I could look in the stands, she's right there with my dad. So like, truly my biggest fan in life.
There's a great video of Chyna, and if it's okay, do you mind if we play it?
Yes, yeah. How you feeling, sis? Good? I'm good.
We at IT's apartment, man, waiting for this draft to start.
We got about 15 minutes.
I've been walking around. We're just excited. Oh, I love him. That's my big brother. So, I mean, I don't know. Words can't really express on what I can say to him. Me and Isaiah are like this, like dreams are turning reality, basically. So it's just showtime.
That was a party for the draft. So the whole family was gathered. You were picked.
The last pick. You were picked the last pick. Yes. I mean, what a cliffhanger. I remember my mom calling me around like the 56th pick, 57th pick. She's like, son, are you all right? And I'm like, I'm as good as I'm going to be. Like, I don't know what's going on. She said a Bible scripture. She said, the first shall be last and the last shall be first. Around like the 58th pick, my agent called me back was like, Sacramento Kings are going to pick you with the last pick. And all my negative emotions went out the window. Because at the end of the day, as a kid growing up, my dream was to hear my name called. Whether it was the first pick or the last pick, it didn't really matter. I was blessed and I was super thankful.
I'm drafted in 2011. I play for the Kings, Phoenix Suns. Then I get traded in 2015 to the Boston.
How did Isaiah Thomas cope with the loss of his sister Chyna?
When you got to the Celtics, it was a team that was kind of rebuilding. Yes. But you really set the tone.
Yeah, I just tried to change the culture. They needed a player like me, and I needed an organization like them to give me the opportunity to showcase my skills.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:01–4:02
2
How did Isaiah Thomas cope with the loss of his sister Chyna?
4:02–5:07
3
What impact did Chyna's death have on Isaiah's performance in the NBA playoffs?
5:07–6:39
4
How does Isaiah describe his relationship with his sister?
6:39–14:29
5
What emotions did Isaiah experience during his sister's funeral?
14:29–19:11
6
How does Isaiah navigate his grief while playing basketball?
19:11–25:15
7
What lessons has Isaiah learned about grief and vulnerability?
25:15–32:32