Tristan Thompson Was Ejected From Game For Slapping Jae Crowder’s Butt
Tristan Thompson must have missed the whole Odell Beckham Jr.’s saga after the college football national championship because butt-slapping comes with a cost these days.
The Cleveland Cavaliers center made an early exit on Friday night (January 17) after he slapped Memphis Grizzlies forward Jae Crowder on the butt as he walked past him at the free throw line. The incident occurred with just over two minutes left in the third quarter as TT slapped his former teammate’s behind as he walked back to the 3-point-line prior to him attempting free throws.
Thompson had previously picked up a technical foul in the first half, so the culmination of the two total fouls resulted in an automatic and immediate ejection.
The 28-year-old ended the night with three points and eight rebounds in 24 minutes played. The Cavaliers lost to Memphis 113-109.
After the game, Thompson claimed he didn’t mean anything bad by the slap and was just participating in a “little competitive spirit.”
“It’s a former teammate of mine, Jae Crowder. We have history,” Thompson told Fox Sports Cleveland. “It’s just a little competitive spirit. They might have took it the wrong way, probably because they might have forgot that we were teammates for half a year. It’s like playing anyone else … I’m definitely calling the [Players Association] tomorrow to appeal that 1,000 percent.”
Crowder was also asked about the slap and kept his reaction short. “A lot of barking. No bite, obviously,” Crowder said to Fox Sports Grizzlies. “I’ll leave it at that.”
