LeBron James has spent 22 seasons setting standards. But suddenly, he’s the one under the microscope. And not for his play—but for his pregame outfit. Yup. You read that right.
Isiah Thomas, NBA Hall of Famer and long-time admirer of James, took a shocking swing this week—not at LeBron’s stats, not at his leadership, but at his professionalism. “I would never let my players walk out on the floor looking like this,” he said, reacting to LeBron warming up shirtless and wearing a durag. “We ain’t at the YMCA.”
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A surprising take, especially from someone who just a month ago said, “We’ve never, ever, ever seen anything like what LeBron’s doing at 40.” The criticism came during a recent NBA TV segment. And Zeke didn’t mince words.
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“The professionalism in our NBA league has diminished so much,” he declared, suggesting Commissioner Adam Silver should even consider a fine. His issue? The shirtless, durag-clad warm-up look that LeBron sported before tipoff. For most, though, it seemed like a non-issue. For Thomas, it was a line crossed.
LeBron James—arguably the most durable and disciplined athlete the game has seen—has built an ironclad reputation for work ethic. So, questioning his professionalism hit different. And that’s where the disconnect lies. Especially given Thomas had just sung his praises in March, calling for more media credit for LeBron’s longevity and dominance at age 40.
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In fact, Thomas once placed LeBron ahead of Jordan and Kareem in the GOAT debate, even referencing his all-around stat lines and basketball IQ as unmatched. Which raises the question: was this critique about professionalism, or about something deeper?
(This is a developing story…)