BOSTON – When the deadline comes and the rumors overwhelm the NBA, Tristan Thompson can only sit at home. Thompson said he contracted COVID-19, which he said was no joke, forcing him to miss 13 games dating back to March 14th.
There were reports that the Celtics were buying him into the trading market. But there was also a rumor that Thompson was allegedly “not loved in the locker room of the Celtics.” The comments were made on The Ringer’s Mismatch podcast, where Kevin O’Connor and Chris Vernon talked about Boston’s season-long struggles.
Thompson is back in court and out of quarantine. He helped the Celtics win 101-99 over the Knicks in the TD Garden on Wednesday. He had the chance to address the rumors and added all he could do was “laugh” as soon as he heard about it.
“In my ten years of basketball, I don’t think there is one teammate who does not keep me in the locker room,” Thompson said. “So I knew it was full of shit.”
The Celtics were quick to back up Thompson as soon as the rumors turned. Jaylen Brown and Kemba Walker both took to Twitter. C coach Brad Stevens also supported the veteran forward when asked about the report.
Brown tweeted a cap emoji, which means that the rumors were not true. Walker – who rarely tweets, as Thompson pointed out – said “we like TT” in his short message.
“It was (O’Connor) just trying to get a click on my name,” Thompson said. “But I’m used to it. Why not mention my name? Especially when our team is going through an up-and-down season as everyone is trying to say. So it makes sense to point out one of the better guys. ”
Thompson signed a two-year contract with the Celtics after spending the first nine years of his career in Cleveland, where he won a championship. He started the season slowly, but recently played well up to the coronavirus. Thompson is averaging 7.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game this season.
While limited by a few minutes, Thompson was solid Wednesday, delivering seven points, eight rebounds and three blocks. He was a plus of 24 in 22 minutes, and Stevens noted that his physicality gave them a big boost. It was a big help against a team like the Knicks, who are more than willing to make it a tough game.
With Thompson back, he should help lighten the middle depth next to Robert Williams III. Thompson said the negative reports could not make him believe.
“It was a joke, and you can ask any of my teammates from 2011 what I’ve played in the NBA so far, and I do not think there’s one teammate who does not like me,” Thompson said. ‘Even a coach, equipment, ball boy. I have a pretty good relationship in this league. So I’m not going to let some guy with Twitter fingers try to drop what I built. ”