LeBron apologizes to teammate Thompson after heated exchange
There seems to have been trouble-in-paradise brewing between Cleveland Cavaliers teammates LeBron James and Tristan Thompson on Sunday (Monday in Manila), as the two figured in a shouting match during their 135-130 double-overtime win over the Indiana Pacers.
The four-time NBA MVP, as per ESPN, was irate at Thompson for failing to cover Indy’s superstar Paul George during defensive switches.
With 26 seconds left in the second overtime, the pair verbally went back and forth against each in a fit of rage. Both men continued to lash out as they approached the huddle after a timeout.
But as tempers defused, a cool-headed James expressed remorse for his actions.
“I have to 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 come out of my mouth,” he told reporters after the game.
“I take full responsibility for that as the leader of the team. So I got to be a lot better at that and be able to keep that in-house in the locker room and when we’re watching film.”
James expanded on this apology as the team proceeded to the locker room.
“I was a little bit too demonstrative at that point in the game,” he said. “He (Thompson) worked hard for our team, he’s a big-time player, but the way it came out was—it didn’t look good on TV.”
Thompson, for his part, took the same approach as James and minimized the situation. “We’re family. Little miscommunication in the huddle,” he said. “Move forward. We’re family. Got each other’s back always.”
With the playoffs drawing closer, the Cavaliers are in the thick of the Eastern Conference standings, currently trailing a game behind the Boston Celtics for the top seed. Khristian Ibarrola/JB
