via Getty
DENVER, CO – OCTOBER 21: Klay Thompson (11) of the Golden State Warriors watches a replay as the Denver Nuggets look to close out during the second half of the Nuggets’ 100-98 win on Sunday, October 21, 2018. The Denver Nuggets hosted the Golden State Warriors at the Pepsi Center in Denver. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
via Getty
DENVER, CO – OCTOBER 21: Klay Thompson (11) of the Golden State Warriors watches a replay as the Denver Nuggets look to close out during the second half of the Nuggets’ 100-98 win on Sunday, October 21, 2018. The Denver Nuggets hosted the Golden State Warriors at the Pepsi Center in Denver. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
Following the Warriors’ victory over the Pistons on Saturday night, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson made headlines. However, this was not because of a sensational performance by the two. Instead, the two called out Pistons’ Rodney McGruder for an in-game altercation.
After the feud, both Klay and Draymond criticized McGruder for acting tough on the court. Former NBA center and now ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins believes the two stars crossed the line with their comments.
Kendrick Perkins speaks up on Rodney McGruder
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USA Today via Reuters
January 25, 2021; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) and guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrate against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The former NBA champion shared his thoughts on ESPN’s The Jump and said:
“I thought this was very corny. You look at a guy like Rodney McGruder, who was undrafted in 2013, who’s been fighting his way, went down to the G League, and still is on a roster here today in 2021. A guy that has to fight every single offseason, go into training camp and prove himself, and we all know how hard it is just to get to the NBA, it’s even harder to stay in the NBA, and they have a 15th or 14th guy on every roster that fights for their position and be that guy on the bench.”
Perkins continued further and said that he believed Klay Thompson was wrong regarding his comments on McGruder. Perkins said, “All he was doing was standing up for his teammates and I love Klay [Thompson], but I can’t roll with him on this statement. That just wasn’t right.”
I thought what Klay Thompson said about Rodney McGruder was Corny and Bogus as hell!!! Real Talk. #TheJump pic.twitter.com/UJjCe9KPjx
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) February 1, 2021
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What led to the feud between Warriors’ Klay Thompson and Pistons’ Rodney McGruder?
On Saturday, Klay joined the Warriors TV crew to cover the game against the Pistons. When the telecast was about to be wrapped up, Klay was asked about his thoughts on what McGruder was doing over by the Warriors’ bench after the game was over. Klay replied, “I don’t know, this dude might be out the league soon, he’s probably mad about that, who knows… He’s over here trying to start something like he’s a good player. Get out of here.”
While Klay is loved by most NBA fans, this time around the three-time NBA champion sounded a little arrogant. As a result, Perkins defended McGruder and called Klay out as we mentioned earlier.
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But what are your thoughts on Klay Thompson‘s comments about McGruder? Let us know your views in the comments section below.
