Account
Danny Ainge: 'Completely False' Tristan Thompson Disliked in Celtics Locker Room
March 26, 2021
Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge addressed speculation that Tristan Thompson is disliked by his teammates.
Appearing on Toucher and Rich on 98.5 The Sports Hub (h/t Chris Grenham of Forbes), Ainge called the rumors about Thompson "completely false."
Rumors about Thompson's standing within the Celtics locker room started earlier this week.
On Tuesday's episode of The Mismatch podcast (starts at 19:45 mark), The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor stated that Thompson is "not loved" by his teammates.
Head coach Brad Steven came to Thompson's defense after O'Connor's report.
"It's not real," Stevens told reporters prior to Wednesday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks. "I think guys that have been in the league hear rumors all the time, and you react to whatever is put out on social media and that gets gassed up and becomes something that guys can react to negatively."
Jaylen Brown responded to the report on Twitter with a blue cap emoji, which is used to indicate lies.
"We love TT," Kemba Walker wrote on Twitter.
Thompson is in his first season with the Celtics. He signed a two-year deal with the team during the offseason. The 30-year-old was expected to solidify their frontcourt, but he's been marginally effective with 7.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game in 36 appearances this season.
Boston has been one of the most disappointing teams in the Eastern Conference in 2020-21. The team has lost six of its last eight games and ranks eighth in the playoff standings with a 21-23 overall record.