Warriors’ Klay Thompson has a lot of respect for Suns’ Devin Booker despite spat

Tempers flared between All-Star shooting guards in the Phoenix Suns’ 134-105 victory over the defending champion Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.

In the third quarter, Klay Thompson and Devin Booker got into a heated exchange, resulting in Thompson’s first career ejection.

“I was just mad,” Thompson told reporters after Golden State’s win Thursday against the Miami Heat. “I just let my emotions get the best of me and I’m competitive. I’m not going to back down.”

Here’s Klay Thompson on his ejection the other night. He mentioned his respect for Devin Booker and said Booker was one of the first players to text him after he tore his Achilles. pic.twitter.com/dDZGbqXeQG

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The Warriors guard also mentioned the respect he has for Booker; how much he loves competing against him. The Suns’ three-time All-Star was one of the first to reach out when the Warriors guard tore his Achilles tendon in 2020.

“[Booker] said, ‘The shooting guard battle won’t be the same,'” Thompson said. “When he did that, that meant a lot to me.”

Booker also referred to the spat as two guys “talking a little mess with each other” after Tuesday’s win, and shares the sentiment of mutual respect the two have for each other.

“From the draft coming out, I said I want to be Klay Thompson,” Booker told TNT’s Chris Haynes postgame on Tuesday. “But that doesn’t excuse us from competing against each other.”

Devin Booker on what was said between he and Klay Thompson. pic.twitter.com/wGd2tpHbsj

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The exchange they had consisted of Thompson repeating the Warriors have four rings — he even pointed to his hand as he walked off the floor.

“[He] repeated it over and over,” Booker said. “I said, respectfully, I admire his game but we’re two different players.

“If anybody’s trying to do any type of comparison, there’s nothing there.”