Isaiah Thomas is revered in Boston.
But on Tuesday, the Celtics traded him (along with Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and a 2018 draft pick) to the Cavaliers.
The deal took NBA Twitter by storm.
One such tweet:
Celtics traded a guy who played in a game for them a day after his sister died, but y'all expect players to be loyal to the franchise, sure— Roy (@Nai_Roy) August 23, 2017
Why does this matter?
Sports
Well, Kevin Durant "liked" it.
Durant took a lot of heat (quite the understatement) for leaving the Thunder to sign with the Warriors.
In fact, people are still very bitter.
At any point while he was under contract with Oklahoma City, the Thunder could have traded Durant if they felt it was the best move for the franchise (unlikely, but that's not the point).
Yet the Finals MVP was viewed as a "traitor" in the eyes of many because he chose a new path that was the best move for him.
He was a free agent and earned the right to take control of his future.
As for Thomas...
Back on April 15, his sister, Chyna, tragically passed away in a car accident.
Somehow, he managed to play the very next day in Game 1 of the Celtics' opening round series against the Bulls.
After Game 4, Thomas praised the franchise.
"[The Celtics have] been really important. I mean, they've been everything. This organization is the best organization there is, from the people who work in the Garden to the players, the coaches, everybody who's a part of the Celtics. They've been supportive. The whole world has, really, so I can't say enough about that."
On May 2 (what would have been Chyna's 23rd birthday) Thomas delivered an epic performance in Boston's Game 2 win over the Wizards in the East semis -- 53 points, including 20 in the fourth quarter and nine in overtime.
But in the end, this is professional sports and the Celtics made a decision that they believe is best for the franchise...
Isaiah Thomas is a cult hero in Boston. Dealt with tragic death of sister, helped recruit Hayward and then gets traded. Maaaaaaaan— Drew Shiller (@DrewShiller) August 22, 2017
Drew Shiller is the co-host of Warriors Outsiders and a Web Producer at NBC Sports Bay Area. Follow him on Twitter @DrewShiller
