“We ain’t at the YMCA” LeBron James going shirtless in warmups has Isiah Thomas livid

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers will play to secure third position in the West against the Houston Rockets.

“We ain’t at the YMCA” LeBron James going shirtless in warmups has Isiah Thomas livid

Isiah Thomas livid after LeBron James warms up shirtless

LeBron James is well known for his pre-game warmups. He arrives earlier than any other player in the league and goes about his routine to get ready for a game. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar goes through the process to ensure he is ready to play at the highest level when the ball tips off.

The 40-year-old does not have the athleticism that once made headlines. To counter that, he goes through a lengthy warmup routine that helps him get his muscle memory right on key. That gets him into shooting rhythm, which helps him score from all areas of the court.

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Ahead of tonight’s matchup against the Houston Rockets, as usual, he arrived earlier than everyone else and started warming up. NBA TV is broadcasting these games and while the studio was previewing the game, they shifted to James at his workouts. Suddenly, NBA legend Isiah Thomas said.

I just totally 100% object to this. I would never let one of my players walk out on the floor looking like this. We ain’t at the YMCA. The professionalism in our NBA league has diminished so much.

Isiah Thomas said

Thomas and the panel of NBA TV collectively agreed that the NBA needs to bring back the professionalism that was once a staple of the entire league. For instance, Thomas wants the league to force head coaches to wear suits again.

But more importantly, he wants LeBron James and other players to bring back the respectful ways of the past. That starts with him not going out shirtless to a warmup, even if no one is around to watch him go through that. Isiah Thomas does not believe it is a look good.

LeBron James and Lakers will face depleted Rockets lineup

The Los Angeles Lakers are sitting at No. 3 in the Western Conference with a 49-31 record. That position is not completely secured with two teams one game below them and another three two games away. This means, the men in purple and gold have to win both their remaining regular season games.

Tonight, they will face the Houston Rockets. Usually, such a matchup would excite NBA fans. But Charles Barkley rightly indicated that some teams could throw games. That tactic is to either rest players or end up with a favorable matchup in the 1st round.

The Rockets it seems are gunning for both. They know sending their starters out after securing 2nd place in the West is futile. That is why the Rockets will field their bench. This means LeBron James and his teammates have an easier task to fulfil.

But the Lakers cannot take it casually, knowing all too well how their conference rival fared in their last game. James and his teammates can take control of the game early. If they maintain the lead, they can then hand it over to the bench.

Lakers could secure third tonight

If the Los Angeles Lakers win tonight, and the Denver Nuggets lose to the Memphis Grizzlies, they should breathe some sigh of relief. They know the only other contender for the third spot are their cross-town rival Clippers.

If the Sacramento Kings defeat the Los Angeles Clippers tonight, then the Lakers will secure third spot with one game left in the regular season. If both these scenarios play out, the men in purple and gold can finally rest for the season finale against the Portland Trail Blazers.

They can send their second unit out to play while LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and other important role player’s rest. That rest will be crucial as the chances of facing the Golden State Warriors in the 1st round are increasing with every day.