Isaiah Thomas made his first public statement since his sister, Chyna, passed away

Isaiah Thomas released his first public statement after the passing of his sister, Chyna Thomas, who died in an automobile accident in Washington state.

“I never could have imagined a day where my little sister, Chyna, wouldn’t be here. She and my family are everything to me, so the pain I am feeling right now is impossible to put into words,” Thomas wrote in his statement. “This has been without question the hardest week of my life. At the same time, I have been overwhelmed by the love and support that I have received and couldn’t be more thankful for my friends, family, fans, the City of Boston, Celtics organization, and the NBA community.

“I truly appreciate all of the support you’ve shown me the past several days and thank you for respecting my privacy as I continue to grieve and heal with my loved ones at this time.”

Thomas has left the team to be with his family in Tacoma, Wash. He is expected to return to the team on Friday for Game 3.

The tragedy struck early Saturday morning, one day before Game 1 of the Boston Celtics’ first-round matchup against the Chicago Bulls. Thomas sat alone courtside, hours before tip-off with teammates and staffers extending their condolences.

The Celtics put together a video tribute to him and his family, and an emotional Thomas scored 33 points on 10-of-18 shooting. But the Celtics lost Game 1 of the series in a nail-biter at home before being crushed in Game 2, 111-97.