When Isaiah Thomas was traded as part of a package from the Boston Celtics to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the NBA community was shocked.

After all, the 5’9” point guard was coming off an incredible MVP-type season in which he averaged 28.9 points per game while embodying the grit and tenacity that his team seemed to rally behind.

Nonetheless, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge shipped him off.

While IT has yet to make a formal statement, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe got a hold of Isaiah’s father James on the telephone, and gained some insight into how Isaiah is doing after the trade.

Judging by his dad’s responses, Isaiah is handling the news well.

“When my job tells me I’ve got to go somewhere else, I go somewhere else,” James said. “That’s work. Or, you find another job. That’s a part of life, even sports.”

“He’s still Isaiah, regardless of where he goes or what he does,” he said. “It’s a business. We’ve been doing good. Isaiah’s been doing great wherever he goes. And it’s just — it’s almost time for him to get paid.”

Isaiah is entering the final year of his contract and he has been very vocal about his desire to sign a max deal next summer, which could have been one of the reasons why Boston elected to trade him.

Isaiah dealt with an overwhelming amount of adversity at the end of his final year in Boston, which made it a very tough decision for the team to trade him. First, his 22-year-old sister was tragically killed in a car crash a day before the Celtics kicked off their playoff run against the Chicago Bulls. He traveled back home twice during the playoffs, but amazingly did not miss a single game despite the obvious emotions that were present.

Also, from a personal health perspective, he took an elbow from Washington Wizards forward Otto Porter in the second round of the playoffs, losing a tooth which led to dental surgery. In the following round against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he aggravated a hip injury and also suffered a labral tear, ending his season at an unfortunate time in the Conference Finals.

“Isaiah has managed to overcome every obstacle you put in front of him. He knows how to maintain, man. He just holds his composure and just plays on. At the end of the day, it’s basketball. It’s still a dream,” his father said. “It was a storm, man. When a storm hits, you’ve got to be able to go through it. It was the worst storm we’ve ever seen or been through as a family. It hurts and it’s been a difficult time. You just go forward and try to do the best you can. I brought my kids up to do the best they can.”

Overall, Isaiah’s dad has no ill will towards Boston.

“They were good times in Boston,” he said. “They were good to us. They gave my son a chance to play in the NBA. It’s nothing against them. I only have good things to say. I can’t cut them. Hey, every starter that was there this year is gone except one. Maybe they did what was best for Boston, or at least they think they did.”

“At the end of the day, what can you say?” Thomas asked. “You’re playing with LeBron. I mean, how many players get to play with the best guy on the planet? And a guy that says you’re good, too, and that people can’t stop you, either.”

While Isaiah hasn’t opened up to the media about the trade, it seems as though there’s a good chance that he will echo his father’s sentiments.

Plus, now he gets to play with LeBron and will now have an opportunity to make Boston pay for getting rid of him in what might shape up being a two-team race to capture the Eastern Conference.