Draymond Green and Klay Thompson ruthlessly skewered a Pistons player who confronted their teammate
- Rodney McGruder of the Detroit Pistons exchanged words with some Warriors players after a game on Saturday.
- Though the confrontation never turned physical, Klay Thompson mocked McGruder, saying he'll "probably be out of the league soon."
- Draymond Green continued the trash talk, calling McGruder a fake tough guy who doesn't scare anybody.
When Detroit Pistons guard/forward Rodney McGruder confronted some members of the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green had something to say about it.
The incident occurred after the Warriors' 118-91 win over the Pistons. As the two teams left the court, McGruder walked over to the Warriors bench and exchanged words with some players before leaving. The confrontation never turned physical.
Klay Thompson, who is out for the season while recovering from a torn Achilles, was taking part in the NBC Sports Bay Area podcast. Thompson immediately skewered McGruder.
"This dude might be out of the league soon. He's probably mad about that," Thompson said.
"He's over here trying to start something like he's a good player or something. It's like, bro, get out of here."
Green wasn't any more reserved in his postgame press conference, mocking McGruder as a fake tough guy.
"When the f--- did Rodney McGruder become the tough guy of the team?" Green said. "I don't know, man. Everybody in the league tough these days. It's crazy. I've seen a lot of tough guys this year. I don't understand it. And don't nobody do anything. If you really wanted to do something, you could have done it. Walk over there talking s---, like he's the team tough guy. Get the hell out of here. F---ing tough guy, Rodney. F---ing tough guy ... I know ain't nobody scared of no damn Rodney McGruder."
McGruder was apparently sticking up for his teammate Wayne Ellington, who, according to Green, had exchanged words with the Warriors early in the game.
On Sunday, Ellington stood up for McGruder.
"First of all, I think it's very unprofessional and definitely not classy for somebody to attack Rodney's professional career the way that it was attacked," Ellington told reporters. "Rodney, I've known him since we've played in Miami together with the Heat. He's one of the most hard-working, humble, and down-to-earth guys that there is in this league. So, for somebody to try to attack him like that I think is very unfair."
Ellington also criticized Green, calling Green's postgame trash-talk "fake tough guy stuff."
"For Draymond to sit up and talk all that type of crazy stuff behind a microphone, I think that's the fake tough guy stuff, to be honest with you. So, I'm only gonna talk about this situation once, man, and put it behind us. But I just think it's unfair for them guys to attack my man like that, and I appreciate Rod and I love him like a brother for whatever he did do that I know wasn't tough guy stuff. He just probably walked over there to try to clear the air with the guy."
The Warriors and Pistons don't play each other again this season, so the budding rivalry may never develop into anything more than some postgame chatter and a skewering from Thompson and Green.