CHICAGO — Suddenly, for the first time all night, Tristan Thompson showed a touch of shyness. Standing shirtless in the locker room, the 23-year-old from Toronto absolutely warranted the media crowd that gathered in front of his stall. But the Cleveland Cavaliers forward didn't think it was his turn, and certainly not while bare-chested, before his shower.
"You gotta talk now," LeBron James bellowed, from three seats down. "Just put a towel over your shoulders."
This wasn't James hazing the kid.
This was James honoring him.
"You deserve it," the four-time MVP told the fourth-year pro.
So Thompson observed the order, indulging reporters by explaining that his 12 offensive rebounds against the bruising Chicago Bulls were about "just being active," summarizing his motto as "see ball, get ball," and joking that his single, solitary defensive rebound was the result of Kevin Love taking the rest of them—which was just about true.
Many were meaningful, especially when they extended possessions that weren't especially pretty, but none more significant than when ...
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Article written by Ethan Skolnick
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