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The rivalry between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors is turning into one of the better ones in years. The fact both teams have so much star power and there is such a high level of skill on the floor when they play, automatically makes it the best matchup of the season in the NBA. Add to the fact they are on pace to face off in the Finals for a third straight season and it only intensifies what everything means.
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With their second game this season against each other coming up next Thursday, Klay Thompson was asked recently on The NBA A to Z podcast about the rivalry and if the Cavs make him feel any type of way. He had previously been pretty dismissive of the trash talk from Lebron and the Cavs after they won the championship last season, which extended into the off season and even into the beginning of this season when Lebron had his infamous Halloween party.
Remember at that party it was Lebron who made sure there were cookies that were shaped as tombstones with the names of Warriors players on them, as well as the Steph Curry dummy that guests had to step over to get into the party. At the time, Klay responded by saying “Yeah, I don’t get it cause I’m not dead”. Not exactly a strong comeback but on the previously mentioned podcast, Klay struck back a little more firm but not as much as Warriors fans probably wish he would’ve.
“It’s obviously not respectful, so it’s got to be on the other side of the spectrum, so that’s fine with us,” Thompson said. “They can do that childish stuff. It doesn’t matter to us. All we’ve got to do is handle it on the court, you know?”
He was also asked if the Halloween party was talked about prior to the Christmas Day game in which the Cavs won an exciting game, 108-107. He said it didn’t come up but it should’ve.
“No, it didn’t [come up on the court in the Christmas Day game]. But shoot, it might have [to]. I mean, I still think we need to play with more of an edge next time we see them…I mean when we won the championship, though, we didn’t do some stuff like that. But that’s OK. People are built differently. We’re not going to—I’m not going to hold it against them. I’m just going to go out there, and we just want to beat them down next time we see them. That’s how it is. Hold that in the memory bank, and just remember that they do that stuff…It’s a good rivalry, and it’s good for the NBA. It makes it more fun, you know? It’s rare in pro sports you get rivalries like this, so we enjoy it, and we embrace it.”
The rematch is next Thursday on the Warriors home floor. It’s a game fans have been waiting for soon as the game on Christmas ended. You can bet players on both sides feel the same.
H/t Complex
