Klay Thompson may not suit the Warriors this season, but that will not stop him from shooting. Thompson had some strong words for Detroit’s Rodney McGruder after McGruder clashed with the Warriors’ bench immediately after Golden State’s 118-91 victory Saturday night.
After the final horn, McGruder approached and exchanged words with Juan Toscano-Anderson before being escorted by team members. After tensions seemed to subside, Thompson, who joined the Warriors broadcast, couldn’t resist roasting McGruder.
“This guy might be out of the league soon, he’s probably mad about it,” said Thompson. “He’s here trying to start something like he’s a good player or something. It’s like, man, get out of here …”
Thompson was eventually interrupted by a member of the Warriors’ broadcast team, who probably intervened to prevent Thompson from exaggerating or saying anything he would regret.
After the game, Draymond Green also commented on the brief altercation between McGruder and Toscano-Anderson.
“When the [expletive] Did Rodney McGruder become the tough guy on the team? “Green asked during his post-game impression.” I don’t know, man, everyone in the league is tough these days. It’s crazy. I saw a lot of tough guys this year. I don’t understand that – and nobody does anything. Like, if you really wanted to do something, you could have done it. [Expletive] there speaking as if he were the tough guy on the team. Get out of here now.”
Detroit’s Wayne Ellington apparently overheard the entire conversation and on Sunday fired back.
“First of all, I think it is not professional at all and it is definitely not elegant for someone to attack Rodney’s professional career the way he was attacked,” Ellington told reporters on Sunday. “To be honest, the guy over there, Juan, started it all. Rod is a respectable man, like me, and I felt like he took offense at whatever the guy was saying to me in the first part.
“For Draymond to sit there and say all that crazy stuff behind a microphone, I think this is a fake tough guy thing, to be honest with you.”
No real punch can have been thrown, but it sure looks like everyone came out of whatever happened feeling a little salty.