| Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Pistons opened their Western Conference road trip on Saturday by getting smacked by the Golden State Warriors, 118-91, in San Francisco.
But it’s what happened immediately after the game that has the NBA world buzzing.
And not in a good way, if you’re Pistons guard Rodney McGruder.
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After the final buzzer, McGruder walked over to the Warriors bench and seemingly confronted Warriors rookie Juan Toscano-Anderson, who was not in uniform.
NBA superstar Klay Thompson, who is out this season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon just before the preseason, joined the Warriors TV crew for the game.
As they were wrapping up the telecast, Thompson, stationed near the Warriors’ bench, unleashed on what he thought McGruder was doing.
“I don’t know, this dude might be out the league soon, he’s probably made about that, who knows,” Thompson said. “He’s over here trying to start something like he’s a good player. Get out of here.”
Oh, but it didn’t end there.
In the postgame interview, Draymond Green gave his view on the situation. It was, as always, unapologetically Draymond. (Warning: this clip has some naughty language in it.)
“He was taking up for Wayne Ellington,” Green said of McGruder. “When the (expletive) did Rodney McGruder become a tough guy of the team?
“Also, I think it was something that Juan said in the first or second quarter to Wayne Ellington,” Green said, with a few other no-no words sprinkled in.
“Too many tough guys in this league. But I know ain’t nobody scared of no Rodney McGruder.”
“But Klay said it best.”
McGruder, for what it’s worth, played six minutes in Saturday’s game, making all three of this field goal attempts and both free throws for eight points. This season, he has played in just four of the Pistons’ 20 games, averaging 2.8 points and 5.0 minutes.
Contact Kirkland Crawford: kcrawford@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @HiKirkHere.