The Boston Celtics finally made a blockbuster trade earlier this week. The team acquired Kyrie Irving from the Cleveland Cavaliers in a deal that sent Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and a first-round draft pick to the defending Eastern Conference champions.
Immediately after news of the trade surfaced, some Celtics fans set fire to their Thomas jerseys and took to social media to record the inferno. This not only enraged Thomas' new teammate LeBron James who vented on Twitter with multiple tweets, but it also hasn't sat well with some other current and former NBA players.
BIG3 star Kenyon Martin is one of those former NBA players that didn't take kindly to fans setting Thomas' jersey ablaze considering he never asked to be traded and helped lead the team to the Eastern Conference Finals last season even while dealing with the tragic death of his younger sister.
Martin, who is preparing to play in the first-ever BIG3 Championship game in Las Vegas, recently spoke to ClutchPoints in a wide-ranging interview and talked about the blockbuster trade, NBA beefs that create these kinds of scenarios and how he felt about Thomas jerseys being burnt as well as his experience in the BIG3 this year.
What are your thoughts on the Kyrie Irving trade?
KM: “It had to get done. He didn't want to be there, but you have to respect management for getting it done. You've got to respect Cleveland for reaching out to a viable trade partner in Boston. You know Boston is always willing to wheel and deal. That's who Danny Ainge is.
“We'll see who gets the better of the trade. Cleveland needs to get some back of substance for Kyrie. So they did a good job.”
How often do these internal conflicts like Kyrie/LeBron and Kobe/Shaq happened within NBA teams?
KM: “It happens. It very seldom spills over into the media. The way the media is now everything is right now. Nobody can keep their mouths closed. Everybody talks about everybody's business. It's been going on, but today's social media has made it that much more relevant.
“It goes on in locker rooms, but guys still go out and do their jobs. Still go out and play.”
What are your thoughts on fans burning Isaiah Thomas jerseys after the blockbuster trade between the Celtics and Cavs?
KM: “He didn't ask to get traded! This man didn't ask to get traded. The man was part of a business deal. The man poured his heart, sweat, and tears out. This man's sister was killed during the playoffs and this man went out and played.
“They should be praising that man instead of burning his jersey. They got short memories, man. Short memories.”
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