In lieu of the Cleveland Cavaliersâ trade with the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, several disgruntled hoops fans decided to burn their Isaiah Thomas jerseys. In what can only be described as an act of class, LeBron James, a player who knows a thing or two about jerseys being burnt, decided to defend his new teammate on Twitter.
James sent out a barrage of tweets in his defense of Thomas, saying: âThe burning of the jersey thing is getting ridiculous now! The man was traded. What do u not understand? & he played in a game after (his) sisterâs tragic death. Gordon Hayward paid his dues as well and decided to do whatâs best for him and family. Put in the work, got better, became an All-Star, etc!! If these guys werenât good, you guys would be the first to say âget them up out of here.â Man, beat it! When âweâ decide to do what best for us, itâs âcowardly,â âtraitorâ, etc. But when itâs on the other side, itâs âbusiness,â huh!?!? Ooh, ok. Man, do what u feel is best for your profession, love, family, happiness, and continue to #StriveForGreatnessđ #Salute.â
Stephen A. Smith, an analyst who is best known for his role on ESPNâs First Take, seems to agree with Jamesâ sentiments. Smith, not one to mince words, says âLeBron is 1000% right to get on those fans in Boston.â
On Thursday, First Takeâs twitter account relayed Smithâs quote about Celtics fans burning their jerseys. Whether he meant to or not, it appears as though Thomas liked, then unliked the tweet.
Update: Thomas seems to have unliked it now.
â Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) August 25, 2017
On one hand, Thomasâ jersey being burnt is a blatant act of disrespect (yes, Cavs fans did the same thing in 2010 when James decided to âtake his talents to South Beachâ). However, on the other hand, it shows exactly what Thomas meant to Celtics fans. As the old saying goes: âtruth comes out in moments of anger.â