Former Isaiah Thomas unexpectedly found himself on the wrong side of NBA fans after speaking out in defense of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse who was fatally shot during an encounter with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis.
Thomas was among the few current or former NBA players to publicly address Pretti’s death. On X, the former Boston Celtics guard reshared a post that laid out a second-by-second account of what allegedly happened between Pretti and ICE agents during the incident.
“Please read this! Especially the dumb MFs who think what happened, should’ve happened smh!!! Praying for Alex family!!! Damn,” Thomas wrote.
While Thomas appeared to be offering condolences and calling for closer attention to the details of the case, NBA fans didn’t rally behind him.
@HskrsStarsucs said, “Dumba** would be alive if he was just chillin at home but he wanted to protect child rapist illegal immigrants instead.”
This New York Times story is not paywalled, and it shows a second-by-second breakdown of what happened. Please scroll through it.
This is not what America, or anywhere, should be https://t.co/fXbS3FOWZc pic.twitter.com/YLx9E6QEq0
— Alanis King (@alanisnking) January 26, 2026
@CFoster0726 added, “Don’t bring a gun and no ID to a law enforcement operation, impede l.e. & chances are you won’t end up in this circumstance.”
@mhanna88 piled on, writing, “Someone gave another propaganda clown and long sold out soul a microphone. Total clown.”
According to reporting from the New York Times, Pretti was participating in a protest in Minneapolis when he was surrounded by seven ICE agents and wrestled to the ground. Initial claims suggested he had pulled a firearm, but the report later indicated footage showed Pretti holding a mobile phone at the time he was shot.
“Confronting a much stronger force”: NBA fans applaud the Minnesota Timberwolves for tribute to Alex Pretti
The incident was acknowledged publicly ahead of Sunday’s rescheduled game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Golden State Warriors, when the Timberwolves held a moment of silence in Pretti’s honor.
The gesture drew praise from fans, even as opinions on the broader situation remained divided.
@JenTusch said, “Thank you to the Timberwolves for being on the right side of history.”
@XTheNewsBeeX added, “Class acts.”
@JumaCJ1 viewed it through a wider lens, writing, “They’re united, politically. To the extent of confronting a much stronger force. That’s interesting to watch.”
The response to both Thomas’ comments and the Timberwolves’ tribute underscored just how polarizing the situation remains, with reactions continuing to spill into NBA circles.
