5 NBA stars whose jerseys were set ablaze by fans

Torching NBA jerseys is the hot (literally) trend among grieving fans who need a means to heal after watching one of their favorite players depart via trade or free agency.

It's apparently cathartic, and definitely a waste of money, but hey ... whatever floats their boat.

Isaiah Thomas recently had his green and white Boston Celtics threads nicely toasted following the news that he was being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Related - LeBron rips IT jersey-burners: 'What do you not understand?'

Here's five other stars who received the same treatment:

Gordon Hayward

Hayward leaving Salt Lake City left these Utah Jazz loyalists feeling rather salty.

It didn't help matters that Hayward's agent initially contradicted reports that he'd decided to join the Celtics, only for a Players' Tribune piece announcing the move being published hours later.

It was an ugly end to a seven-year run with the Jazz, which added more fuel to the fire that charred Hayward's No. 20.

Dwight Howard

The Howard that the Los Angeles Lakers got in 2012-13 wasn't the dominant, motivated version that left his mark on the Orlando Magic.

Since Howard was only in Hollywood for that single season in an experiment gone wrong, it wasn't nearly as traumatizing to see his jersey thrown in the pit and melt under the searing heat.

That anyone would bother to incinerate Howard's jersey after only 76 appearances showed just how frustrating his Lakers tenure was.

Dwyane Wade

Three championships, 13 seasons with one organization, 12 All-Star nods, and this is what Wade got?

The man wanted to be remembered for staying in one spot his entire career, but that simply wasn't in the cards with Miami, so Wade prioritized his happiness and went home to the Chicago Bulls.

Contract negotiations sometimes fall through, and mnagement can decide to change directions, whether it's a popular decision or not. Wade deserved better than this.

Kevin Durant

Durant moving on from the Oklahoma City Thunder after nine productive seasons was difficult enough to digest.

That he latched on to a 73-win Warriors team that had just bounced OKC from the playoffs after coming back from a 3-1 series deficit made his exit hard to swallow, let alone stomach.

All of the good Durant did for OKC was seemingly erased in one fell swoop, and for turning into a Benedict Arnold in the eyes of his former admirers, his replicas had to be destroyed in epic fashion.

LeBron James

Time (and a championship ring) heals all wounds, but when James initially left the Cavaliers back in 2010, the city of Cleveland reacted as if it had been stabbed in the front, back, and everywhere in between.

To make matters worse, the fan base had to watch it all unfold live on television when James made his infamous "Decision" to the masses.

The King hits free agency again next summer. He did end the city's historic title drought in 2016, but that doesn't guarantee his jerseys won't experience a similar fate if he leaves Cleveland again.