Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas on Friday criticized LeBron James for his attire (or lack thereof) while warming up for the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the Houston Rockets.
Thomas was part of the halftime show panel for NBA TV’s broadcast of a Milwaukee Bucks-Detroit Pistons game. As the panel previewed the Lakers-Rockets game, a shirtless James was shown taking warm-up shots hours before tip-off at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif.
The scene did not sit well with Thomas. The Detroit Pistons icon laid into James, branding him unprofessional for his pregame stunt.
“I just totally, 100% object to this,” said Thomas. “If I was the GM or coach, I would never let one of my players walk out on the floor looking like this. We are a professional NBA league. We ain’t summer league. We ain’t at the YMCA. Professionalism in our NBA league has diminished so much.
“I just think the professionalism in our NBA league has diminished so much. Look, I like LeBron, I’m a fan of his. … But to walk out on the floor before a game with no shirt on, come on, man. Where we at?”