No Debating Tristan Thompson’s Legacy With The Cleveland Cavaliers
I call bs on a lot of Cleveland Cavaliers fans. I call bs on your fandom if you think Tristan Thompson doesn’t deserve his jersey in the rafters of the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. How can this even be a question?
Over the last 2 decades, perhaps no player outside of Big Z captured the grit and determination of the city he played in than Thompson. Yeah, he had his Hollywood moments. Tristan was involved in a cheating scandal with a Kardashian, and maybe he is a bit sleazy. When it comes to his on-court play, nobody needs to question his effort.
Tristan wasn’t a top-10 NBA player. Maybe he didn’t deserve the 5-year, $82 million contract he signed. Don’t let any of that sway you. In his prime with Cleveland, Tristan was always one of the league’s best offensive rebounders. He was the first player in Cavaliers history to play 400 consecutive games. A member of the infamous 2016, 3-1 Finals deficit, Championship team.
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We are too willing to give guys like Kyrie Irving a spot in the rafters despite his desire to leave the city and never come back. So what, he scored the game-winning finals basket? Did Kyrie ever resonate with the hardworking fans of Cleveland?
That was Thompson his entire tenure with the team. A guy who did his shit on the court. Who cares what he did off the court? He put in his time at the office. And you knew what you were getting when he was clocked in.
A lot of Cavaliers fans forget what Tristan meant to the city and team. Not once did he complain about his role, and despite all of his contract drama, his heart was in Cleveland. He was a leader, sure he had an issue with John Beilein, but who didn’t? We praise Kyrie for being a leader, but forget Tristan? That’s wrong.
Point is, there are players who define a franchise. Tristan is one of those. The Cleveland Cavaliers owe it to him to hang his jersey. Fans know this, the front office knows this, every player he has played with knows this. It shouldn’t be a debate. Honestly, it’s insulting to his Cleveland Cavaliers legacy that it is one.
Image Source: NICK WASS/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Daniel is a guru of baseball and basketball prospects. He’s a very experienced Amusement Park traveler as well. Follow him and his hot takes on Insta @dgentleman9288
