The Sixer Sense
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The Isaiah Thomas Tragedy: Joel Embiid Can Relate

By John Pawlowski

Oct 26, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid walks from the dressing room for warmups against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 26, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid walks from the dressing room for warmups against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Few NBA players can empathize with Boston Celtics’ star Isaiah Thomas and his family death. Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is one of the few who can.

The unfathomable loss of a sibling is overwhelming in it’s nature. When Isaiah Thomas received the news that his sister Chyna (22 years of age) was killed in a fatal highway accident on Saturday, he was gearing up for possibly the biggest game of his career thus far.

It became rumored that Isaiah was emotionally distraught heading into Sunday night’s series tip-off against the Bulls. During pre-game warm ups, that presumption soon gained clarity. The image of Isaiah weeping alongside teammate Avery Bradley quickly went viral across social media.

The NBA community expressed their condolences through thousands of tweets, public statements, and personal relations. Minutes before tip-off, the TD Garden dedicated a moment of silence to the young guard’s sister. And with every touch of the ball, the crowd met Isaiah with roars of encouragement.

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However, despite team consoling and fan condolences, not many can truly relate to the early death of a younger sibling; specifically a tragic one by cause of car crash. Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is perhaps one of the few current NBA stars that have experienced a similar situation during their career.

African Roots

For those who cease to recall, or simply have slipped past the headlines, Joel found himself in a similar predicament less than three years ago.

During the first segment of “The Process”, then-rookie Joel received news of his younger brother’s passing while sidelined in the midst of the Sixers’ preseason.

The death of his brother Arthur (13), was initially tagged as an undisclosed cause. Yet soon after Joel flew to visit his mourning family, it was announced he was involved in a fatal car accident.

Joel took to Instagram and Twitter to publicly announce his distressed mourning.

It’s one thing to lose a sibling, but to lose one 6,000 miles away is a concept that’s quite difficult to relate to.

And while distance is irrelevant in the Isaiah comparison, it puts in perspective the pain that accumulates whether you’re across the country, or across the world. The death of a loved one as an NBA player on the road, is an emotional travesty.

Connecting The Two

Still, the differences between the two stars and their respective intangibles are obvious. Joel Embiid was on the inactive roster since the day he was drafted, giving him years to heal (pun intended). Plus he’s also had a load of physical stress to top off his emotional baggage.

Isaiah had to follow one of the worst days of his life, with one of the most important ones the next day.  At least in an immediate sense, he’s had minimal time to cope.

And as devastating as a situation this can be, Isaiah has an obligation not only as an NBA professional, but as a team leader to suit up and play; despite personal circumstances.

This is where Embiid’s experience kicks in. His recent success was largely determined by all the steps taken on the road to physical and  mental recovery. Not many professional athletes, especially kids, could conquer these obstacles simultaneously.

Worst comes to worst, Joel could be the open ear and advice donor that Isaiah is longing. He’s certainly social enough.

We can only hope as part of the NBA community that Isaiah’s able to bounce back like our leader has. Whether that be through newfound motivation for his sister, or an anger sublimated Mamba-like mentality, he’s likely to revamp in some way.

And while we never wish the Celtics any collective success, us here in Philadelphia can’t help but root for the little guy with the headband and wicked crossover. You could say it’s just out of habit.