- Warriors sign NBA veteran Rodney McGrudger to training camp deal.
- Klay Thompson roasted McGruder in an infamous clip from 2021.
- Fans can’t wait to see how Thompson and mcGruder work together for pre-season training
After it was announced that veteran guard Rodney McGruder reached a deal with the Golden State Warriors, most fans didn’t think anything of it. With a career-scoring average of 5.7 points per game, his impact on the Warriors is still up in the air and his chances of securing a long-term contract are still somewhat unknown at this time. But on Monday, McGruder went viral for his part in being on the wrong end of a roast by Klay Thompson.
Thompson had some choice words for Rodney last time they faced off during the 2021 season. Back then, McGruder was completely unknown aside from making an enemy out of Klay. “This dude might be out of the league soon,” said Klay on McGruder. He’s probably mad about that… over there checking my guy. Like he’s a good player or something.”
Klay said in 2021 Rodney McGruder “might be out the league soon.”
Warriors just signed McGruder today 😬
(via @NBCSWarriors)pic.twitter.com/lRUFsH4a16
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 25, 2023
The game itself was an easy victory for the Warriors, who would go on to win the title that season. Things didn’t get heated until after the final buzzer when McGruder (who was on the Pistons at the time) apparently tried starting something with a Warriors player. Thompson, who is very protective of his teammates, took it upon himself to trash McGruder live on the air, and even the Warriors broadcasters tried to get him to tone it down. Of course, at the time, nobody thought anything would come of the statement but now that Klay and McGruder are teammates, it will be interesting to see how they work together.
NBA Fans React To Wild Quote From Thompson
Anybody who has followed the Warriors over the past few years will already know that Klay Thompson has a tendency to trash-talk his opponents, but it’s not every day that a statement like that is made about your future teammate. Naturally, while fans understand that Thompson has likely forgotten about his little incident with McGruder, they still had fun making jokes about the whole situation online.
Klay to McGruder in practice if he tries to talk to him pic.twitter.com/PYY5Gr6VwJ
— 🇸🇴🐍🗡️ (@aykeepitabuck) September 25, 2023
Rodney McGruder introducing himself to Draymond and Klay at training camp. pic.twitter.com/VK8sGzBM5H
— David Mai (@dmai21) September 25, 2023
Ppl coming out quick with those clips from when Klay and Dray were dissing McGruder. This place is too much 😂😂
— Sayul (@Saulty22) September 25, 2023
Klay Thompson, after telling Kerr to get rid of McGruder and Kerr, does it. pic.twitter.com/emXW1eApLS
— Jericho (@JerichoXVI) September 25, 2023
Klay gets to make sure Rodney McGruder is out the league by the time training camp wraps up
— Randy Dumalig (@RJDumalig) September 25, 2023
In today’s social media landscape, everything a player says is on the record and it can occasionally come back to haunt them. In the case of Klay Thompson, he may some some explaining to do when his new teammate shows up to practice later this month — but if they can look back on it and laugh together, it may be the best way to rectify the situation.
It’s Now Or Never For The Warriors
Last season’s second-round exit was a massive disappointment for the Warriors. As 4x champions with a Finals win as recently as 2021, the Warriors are still confident in their standing in the West and it’s why they decided to double down on their core veterans instead of building toward the future.
As a 4x champ himself who was there from the very beginning, Thompson is obviously a crucial member of the Warriors and his performance will be a major factor in how this upcoming season plays out for the franchise. The hope is that with the original core, and role players like Andrew Wiggins, Chris Paul, and potentially Rodney McGruder, the Warriors can return to form and make a deep run in the postseason. Their success towards that goal remains to be seen, but the odds are certainly stacked in their favor considering all that they have going for them.
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