The unthinkable might've happened during the second overtime period of the Cavs-Pacers game, with 26 and a half seconds left. LeBron James was camped in the post and drew a defender, so he kicked the ball to an open Kevin Love, who knocked down the triple. After this play, Tristan Thompson did not appear happy with LeBron. The Pacers called a timeout as soon as the three-pointers went down, and the Cavs players celebrated the shot as they walked to the bench. But in the midst of this, there was a back and forth verbal battle between James and Thompson.
A very livid Tristan was aggressively yelling at King James, and LeBron was also saying some things back. This was supposedly due to the possession before, where there was a miscommunication leaving Paul George open for a bucket. LeBron let his frustration out on Thompson, but it wasn't taken lightly. As fans, we don't exactly know what happened, but we can take what we want from the postgame interviews.
LeBron's take
LeBron James spoke about the altercation after the game, saying:
"I gotta do a better job of not showing up my teammates out on the floor. I had the right intentions in my mind, but I had the wrong intentions coming out of my mouth".
This suggests LeBron might've said something out of the line while on the floor, something that he regrets and "takes full responsibility for." LeBron explained that as the leader of the team, he would continue to keep striving to lead his team the best way he knows how.
He discussed his focus on being better at controlling what comes out of his mouth on the floor and in the locker room. James let the media know there is no tension between the two, saying "I apologized."
Tristan's take
Tristan Thompson didn't have a whole lot to say about the situation after the game, compared to how much he had to say during the altercation.
Tristan was asked about what happened, he said: "A little miscommunication, but we will move forward." Thompson also stressed the idea of the brotherhood, repeating the phrases "we family" and "move forward." It's obvious that Tristan doesn't want to dwell on the situation, especially because LeBron has already taken responsibility for it.
For the Cavs center, it's all about leaving it in the past and focusing on the present. Proving that there will be no beef between the two stars, and the Cavs will continue playing together as a close group.
