BOSTON – The text message arrives on Darius Garland’s phone at the same time before almost every game. It is from Garland’s “big brother,” Tristan Thompson, who used to say the same words of encouragement personally, from a closet away.
Stay aggressive. Keep your head up. Stay confident in your game. Make your teammates better.
Thompson is no longer in Cleveland. He signed a two-year contract with the Boston Celtics in the off-season, ending his nine-year season with the Cavaliers, going from skinny teenager (by NBA standards) with a baby-faced goatee to NBA iron man, champion, respected veteran and consummate professional – the team’s heartbeat and a legend of the franchise.
That did not stop him from guiding the Cavs’ second-year guard, who was improving, from a distance. Their connection, which began even before the organization summoned Garland to fifth choice in the NBA 2019 Draft, will not be fragmented because Thompson is more than 600 miles away.
“TT is like an older brother to me. He sends me text messages before, like almost all games. ”Garland told cleveland.com from his hotel room on Saturday night, less than 24 hours before his first game against Thompson. “He put me under his protection. TT made his name in this league. He won a championship in this league. He knows what to do and how to get there. Is what I want. I want to win championships. Just hearing about him and having another guy I can talk to instead of my dad or some of my own teammates and coaches, it’s really cool to have him there for me. “
During the 2019 pre-design process, Garland was in Los Angeles with other Klutch Sports customers. In the middle of a race with particular NBA skills and player development coach Chris Johnson, Garland faced Thompson after an exchange. Garland retreated past the 3-point line, near the central court, and waved to his teammates. He wanted to go to ISO against Thompson.
“He told me I couldn’t hit him, so I took my bag and hit him,” recalls Garland laughing. “I just looked at him and he said, ‘Well, you scored on one of the best defenders in the league, so you can score on anyone.’ I patted him on the ass and said, ‘Yes, sir.’ “
It’s one of Garland’s favorite Thompson stories. This is where your strong bond began. For the rest of that summer, Thompson would talk to Garland about the pros and cons of the NBA. He told Garland that if he were to be a high draft choice – the top five projected at the time, despite having played only four full games as a freshman at Vanderbilt – the young man would likely experience many early growth pains, both as an individual and as an individual. from the team’s point of view.
On June 20, 2019, when the Cavs took Garland, Thompson was the first person to call.
“As soon as I left the stage, he looked at me,” said Garland. “He congratulated me and said how happy he was to have me in Cleveland.”
Even though it lasted just one year, the 2019-20 season gave them both the chance to further increase the relationship between the big and the small as teammates.
One of the Cavaliers’ vocal leaders, Thompson yelled at Garland – and others – to run back to defense instead of running. He pestered the soft-spoken guard about calling the shots with affirmation, because Garland’s voice used to be drowned out by the roaring in the arena. Thompson also taught Garland the value of taking care of his body. Massages and trips to the cold tub were essential.
Throughout Garland’s turbulent debut season, in which the young man never truly felt as if he had come out of a significant knee injury, Thompson became Garland’s sounding board. The veteran could relate. He had seen that look before. About 10 years earlier.
Summoned to a frustrating reconstruction, without much talent and little chance of winning, Thompson learned the value of patience in his early days in Cleveland. That and how to deal with adversity. He also learned about the mental stamina needed to prevent sequences of chronic loss and nighttime explosions from crushing his spirit.
With the Cavs reaching 19-46 last season and seeing coach John Beilein struggling before resigning, there have been many such heartfelt conversations with Garland.
“We used to talk after each game,” said Garland. “He used to tell me to keep my head up, maintain a stable mentality and reminded me that everything was going to get better. I just kept going and here we are this year. Is better. Just all the little things with TT that make it great. I think he impacted the organization like crazy. “
All the knowledge acquired in the last year went to Garland. He is a better player, teammate and leader on the court because of that. And he is not the only one either.
“One of my favorite teammates of all time,” Kevin Love told cleveland.com. “Tristan and I got on with each other from the beginning. He really knows basketball and his understanding of the game has improved every year. Being close to our Finals group made me a better teammate. Tristan was a big part of that. He stood out as a leader for the past two years and that made me happy to see. He was a leading guy for example for us – really vocal.
“Tristan always competes. Every game he plays as if he has something to prove. He knows who he is and knows that he can change the game at both ends of the court with his rebounds and aggression. “
Love learned of Thompson’s departure on November 22, shortly before the news was released on Twitter.
The Cavs had Thompson as a priority to become a free agency. The two sides spoke throughout the season about the possibility of a return and these discussions continued until Thompson’s final decision. Such a significant part of the organization since it was created almost a decade ago, and even more important during the post-LeBron James transition years in helping to define culture and be the voice of reason, Thompson’s conversation was very different from any another free normal agent.
It was difficult, but the front line needed to balance two realities: its value to the franchise versus its market.
Eventually, Boston approached and offered Thompson the complete mid-level exception – two years and $ 19 million. It was a more profitable business, with a second year attached, than what the Cavs were willing to give, always wanting to maintain flexibility towards the summer of 2021, after a year of evaluation.
When Thompson made his choice, he faced FaceTime with Love and Larry Nance Jr., the two attackers who needed to fill that void – on and off the court.
“I was sad to see him go because we have been holding the attacking court since 2014-15,” said Love. “Outside of Delly (Matthew Dellavedova), Tristan was the only one left of the 2016 team. But we were all very happy for him. “
Even Garland. It just took longer.
“I thought there was a chance he would stay,” said Garland. “We all had a lot of hope. I had my fingers crossed. I knew he was going into free action with his contract expiring. He always talked about how he wanted to stay in Cleveland and how he wanted to end his career here. I wish he had. I wish he could. But it is a business. I was a little hurt, but then I talked to him and he said: ‘Little brother, this is the business of the game and I wish I could help you and be here while you become the great player you will be.’ “
When Nance first arrived in Cleveland – a 2017-18 mid-season trade that ended his time with the Los Angeles Lakers after just two and a half years – he had mixed emotions. Nance was thrilled to return home, to play for the franchise he grew up watching and loving, where his father became a legend. But he also felt some pain. The team that chose Nance in 27th overall in 2015, sent him away for less than 100 percent from Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye and a first round choice. It was hard to accept. Then Nance heard from Thompson.
“Tristan was amazing to welcome me to the team,” said Nance. “Making me feel that, no, the Lakers didn’t give up on you, we wanted you more than they did. Like, we got you out of them. It was our effort to catch you that made them give up on you. Don’t think about it like that, think like that. “
That’s the same message that Nance passed on to newcomers Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince, helping them to acclimatize after being acquired in the four-team blockbuster James Harden last week. Allen and Prince praised Nance and other teammates for making them feel welcome, allowing them to catch up quickly and have an impact on Cleveland’s two wins over Brooklyn.
Thompson, who has always loved the phrase “pay ahead”, would be proud of his protégé Nance for doing just that.
“I went to the games in the last and third year of high school and thought, ‘My God, it’s Tristan Thompson, it’s the Cleveland Cavaliers’, so I can play against him in Los Angeles and then be on the same team as him,” said Nance . “Even when I was in high school, he came up to me and my dad and said, ‘Hey, Mr. Nance, good to see you and Larry.’ He didn’t need to know me. Nobody knew me. The same thing with the Lakers. He shouldn’t have met me, but it was always: ‘What’s up, little Nance, how are you?’ I don’t have enough good things to say about him. I have the utmost respect for him and for everything he has done throughout his career and for the city of Cleveland. “
Nance admits that it will be “different” to play against Thompson on Sunday. The two talked before the confrontation and Nance expects a lot of jokes and small talk.
A real competitor, Nance has a goal. Well, besides leaving Boston with a win, of course. He wants to bury his friend.
“The Instagram image won’t look so good with me blocking your photo,” said Nance with a wry smile. “But if I bury it, I will mark it in the photo. I’ll make sure he sees it. It’s all fun and games. He would be saying the same thing to me. When you are not using these colors, you are the enemy, at least for one night. “
To say that Thompson left his mark in Cleveland is an understatement. Playing for Celtics does not change that. Its impact is still being felt.
“He’s in a number of my favorite moments for playing and living in Cleveland,” said Love. “The way he plays represents Cleveland. Blue collar, hardworking, hard. He made it part of the Cavs’ identity. “
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