Cavaliers’ Tristan Thompson Praised For “Gritty, Tough, Nasty” Role

In his second stint with Cleveland, the 32-year-old big man continues to provide strength and hustle for the Cavaliers off the bench.

In his first nine seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Tristan Thompson was an interior force known for his strength and hustle on the floor.

Selected fourth overall in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Wine and Gold, Thompson totaled 5,839 points and 5,393 rebounds for Cleveland in this span, and was the starting center on the Cavaliers’ 2016 NBA Championship team.

He then ended up playing for four different teams over the next three seasons, followed by a brief stint with the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2023 NBA Playoffs.

Eventually, Cleveland signed Thompson to a one-year contract this past offseason, bringing him back to Northeast Ohio.

This past Sunday night, he did not play during the first half of Cleveland’s game against the Toronto Raptors, after which Toronto led by 10 points.

However, in just seven minutes of second-half action, Thompson provided the Cavaliers with a spark off the bench. He totaled four points, four offensive rebounds, and a season-high four assists.

T TIME. T TIME. T TIME.@RealTristan13 | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/ystRNLEqqf

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) November 27, 2023

The Cavaliers ended up snapping their two-game losing streak with a 105-102 comeback victory.

Nov 26, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam (43) drives between Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (12) and forward Georges Niang (20) in the third quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse / © David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

After the game, Cleveland head coach J.B. Bickerstaff discussed Thompson’s performance and role.

“There’s a reason why he’s made it this long in this league. The dude impacts winning in a way that most people can’t. And it’s, not a score, not a, whatever it may be. But it’s just a gritty, tough, nasty thing that nobody else is willing to do, and it just makes a difference in winning. And his teammates need that from him. I couldn’t be more proud of him, but, we’re so fortunate to have him here with us.”

Over three years after the final game of his first Cavaliers stint, Thompson’s playing style remains the same as it once was with the Wine and Gold.