Ken Blaze—USA TODAY Sports
Aggrieved Celtics fans took things too far yesterday when they began burning Isaiah Thomas jerseys in the aftermath of the mega-trade that shipped him off to Cleveland and brought Kyrie Irving to Boston. Jersey burning has become a tasteless meme (and a quest for virality) that doesn't accurately reflect the realities of sports business. Professional sports are arranged in such a way that money governs the tides, and allegiances exist only in the vapors between steaming hot piles of cash.The typical jersey burning usually happens after a player bolts in free agency; a situation where the player makes the decision to leave. But Isaiah Thomas was traded, so it's safe to say that the idiots who started burning his jerseys finally jumped the shark.Look at this nonsense:
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LeBron James knows this is nonsense—Hell, his jersey is the prototypical flaming shirt. Thankfully, in a mini-tweetstorm earlier today, he decided to use his stratospheric platform to talk about how stupid it is, and to take a stand for his new teammate:
Even if this is a way to further promote LeBron's perfectly-manicured brand, he's certainly out there putting truth to power. Isaiah Thomas carried the Celtics to the top of the East, all while losing a tooth and dealing with the death of his sister in the Playoffs. What more can he possibly have done for you? Put your goddamn matches away, Boston.