Cavaliers veteran Tristan Thompson was thrown out of Friday’s game against the Grizzlies after an incident with a former teammate earned him a second technical. After getting into it with former Cavaliers forward Jae Crowder earlier in the game, a run-in that resulted in double technicals, Thompson was hit with another tech for forcefully slapping Crowder’s butt while at the free-throw line.
Crowder stopped walking as soon as Thompson touched him and turned to an official, and referee J.T. Orr ejected Thompson from the game.
Thompson said after the game that he planned to reach out to the National Basketball Players Association to appeal.
Via Cleveland.com:
“Former teammate of mine. So we have history and it was just a little competitive spirit. They might have taken it the wrong way probably because they forgot that, I don’t know, we were teammates for half the year, so it feels like playing anyone else, like if I was playing Kyrie (Irving) or something. The same thing. They teched us. I’m definitely calling the [NBPA] to appeal that — one thousand percent.”
