Klay Thompson may not tackle the Warriors this season, but that will not stop him from taking shots. Thompson had some strong words for Rodney McGruder of Detroit after McGruder confronted the Warriors bench immediately after Golden State’s 118-91 victory Saturday night.
After the final whistle, McGruder approached and exchanged words with Juan Toscano-Anderson before being escorted by team personnel. After tensions erupted, Thompson, who joined the Warriors broadcast, could not resist frying McGruder.
“This guy could be out of the league soon, he’s probably mad about it,” Thompson said. “He’s here to start something like he’s a good player or something. It’s like, brother, get out of here …”
Thompson was eventually cut off by a member of the Warriors’ broadcast team, who probably stepped in to prevent Thompson from going overboard or saying something he would regret.
After the game, Draymond Green also weighed in on the brief altercation between McGruder and Toscano-Anderson.
“When the [expletive] did Rodney McGruder become the tough guy on the team? asked Green during his post-press. “I do not know man, everyone in the league is tough these days. It’s crazy. I’ve seen a lot of tough guys this year. if you really wanted to do something, you could do it. [Expletive] there he talks as if he is the team. Get the hell out of here. ‘
Wayne Ellington of Detroit apparently heard all the talk and on Sunday he fired back.
“First of all, I think it’s very unprofessional and certainly not polite for someone to attack Rodney’s professional career as it was attacked,” Ellington told reporters on Sunday. ‘To be honest, the man there, Juan, is the one who started the whole thing. Rod is a man of respect, like me, and I felt he was offended by everything the man said to me in the first half. .
“For Draymond to sit up there and talk all that kind of crazy stuff behind a microphone, I think it’s the fake hard thing, to be honest with you.”
There may have been no real beats thrown, but it seems like everyone got away from everything that happened, just felt a little salty.