By: Aaron Shariq

Getting your jersey burned is now a rite of passage for high-profile NBA athletes.  When LeBron broke the hearts of everyone in Ohio the stitches of his Cavaliers jerseys were broken with flames.  Kevin Durant saw his Oklahoma City Thunder jerseys go up in flames quicker than his 3-1 lead on the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 Western Conference Finals.  Gordan Heyward left a middle-of-the-road team in the competitive Western Conference to sign with a top team in the significantly weaker conference and Utah fans held a competition to see who could burn Heyward’s jersey first.

The newest member of the burned jersey club is former Boston Celtic, Isaiah Thomas.  The significant difference between Thomas and the rest of the burned jersey club? he was TRADED!  Thomas was involved in a blockbuster trade that sent him, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and the Brooklyn’s 2018 unprotected first-round pick to the Cavaliers in exchange for Kyrie Irving.

Thomas’s move was not a voluntary one, nor was it a trade he requested.  Kyrie asked for the trade out of Cleveland and the Boston front office offered up Thomas to get better and younger at the point guard position.  I don’t understand the practice of burning jerseys and LeBron James, who’s had his jersey burned twice, took to twitter to express he doesn’t agree with the practice either.

Players leave teams via free agency and trade frequently, the high-profile athletes exits are more notable.  Either way, hold onto your jerseys that are filled with the memories of watching your favorite player and save the money you’ll spend on buying his retro jersey later.