Top 70 Tristan Thompson Quotes

The one bad thing sometimes when you switch 1 through 5, guys think it’s easier and they relax. You have to be just as aggressive. If we’re going to switch 1 through 5 we got to meet that point of entry at the ball and be physical.

I understand my teammates. I know which teammates you can get on during the game, and which respond better to constructive criticism.

I don’t really pay attention to the guy I outwork for the rebound, it’s really just hearing the crowd just be like, ‘Ohhhhh.’ They just get frustrated. That’s a good feeling.

For bigs, we usually have three simple moves – and the hook-shot is one of those moves that’s a forgotten art. But it’s always been an effective move in our league.

We need everyone, every game. So I’m not going to put myself in the position to hurt my team or my teammates.

Well, history always repeats itself, so there’s probably a baby Shaq out there in a crib somewhere, sipping on a bottle, and when he gets old enough, he’ll bring the post-up center back.

Guard some point guards, late shot clock, hopefully they miss.

As long as we win, that’s all that matters and everything else will take care of itself.

I think playing the 5 is an advantage for me. I’m much quicker than a lot of the other centers in our league.

My whole goal is just to be professional every day.

At the end of the day, coaches, fans, everyone can live with the team playing hard and giving an effort. Fall short, you can live with those results. But if you’re not giving yourself an effort or a fight, you’ve got no chance in this league.

I’m not going to change my game.

Whoever’s in the game has got to be ready to play, take the scout serious and understand what we’re doing. If you don’t know what to do, ask questions.

What I really lick my chops for is when you get the offensive rebounds at the end of the third quarter, fourth quarter. That really just sucks the life out of the opponent. You can see it in their face, especially when you’re on the road, it just takes the whole energy out of the arena. That’s what I live for.

So with the skinnier guys, you definitely want to make sure you get a body on them; that’s how you take away big guy’s length, by getting into their bodies.

If I play two minutes, three minutes, 20 minutes, it don’t matter to me. As long as we win.

Coach Blatt’s been great! He comes with a worldly dynamic and I think that’s what our game has been lacking. He’s coached and played all over the world, so his perspective on the game of basketball is kind of different from most traditional NBA coaches. But at the same time, it makes it interesting and exciting.

Without the community, as pro athletes, we’re nothing, so I feel it’s important to give back and definitely connect with supporters the fans and the people that help us earn our living.

I’ve played center, power forward. Wherever I can help my team be successful, whether that’s playing power forward or center, I’m going to come out and do my job. Nothing changes.

I think it’s important at the end of the day you know obviously playing in the NBA is a great thing, but representing your country at the highest level is something totally different.

My dad, he always played soccer.

Obviously I love playing the game of basketball. That’s what God blessed me to do.

I think that’s my job to be a little nasty – to bring that energy, protect the paint and really just protect our guys. That’s the role of a big man. It’s not cute; it’s not pretty being a big. You have to come in and do the little things, do the dirty work.

If you look back at Greek mythology and even back before World War 1, every time a team would go out to battle, they’d eat first.

Obviously, Steve Nash making the NBA and becoming a two-time MVP gave us the hope that if we work hard, we might have a chance to just be in the NBA. Seeing his success gave us hope.

It’s the little things. That’s kind of what I bring to the table in terms of doing things that might not show up in the box score. Diving for a loose ball, or switching out on a guard and getting that big stop, cutting someone’s water off if they’ve made a couple shots.

We all have our motivations in life and for me, it’s my kids. They push me every day and keep me going. It gives me that extra motivation that I need.

I think you have to be physical no matter who you’re playing against, so that’s just something that I have to do.

Just play hard, compete, energy, hit the offensive glass.

The key is to keep playing hard and the rest will take care of itself.

Whatever happened in the past is in the past.

Ever since I joined the Cavilers, my job has always been the same. I just come out and play hard. Be a hard hat guy, punch in the clock and just play my game. That’s not going to change.

Basketball is definitely basketball and that’s what we love to play, but in the NBA, there’s a business side of it. It’s a very serious matter and it’s important. It’s important to me, it’s important to my family.

Being considered for Sixth Man is definitely something that is pleasing.

That’s one of the reasons I was drafted because I blocked three shots a game in college so I got to continue doing that in the NBA.

You can talk all you want but I’m definitely going to bark back.

We don’t got to talk to each other off the court. As long as we talk on the court, on the defensive end, that’s all that matters to me.

At the end of the day, we play for the community. They come out there and parents spend their hard-working money to come support us and fill the stadium, so it’s only right to give back.

Guys are going to talk. We’re going to respond… they aren’t going to punk us. Not me. They’re not going to punk Tristan Thompson.

Me being blessed, you need to bless others.

Whether I’m starting or coming off the bench, bigs have to protect the rim and can’t give nothing easy to nobody.

The big goal is playing in June, so I’d rather be in the best shape I can be in health-wise than be dragging with nagging injuries or not being 100 percent trying to get to the Finals.

Being myself has worked out pretty well for me I think.

Being able to play a whole season, play every game and start every game means a lot.

Any award the NBA gives you, whether it’s on the court or off the court, it’s definitely an honor.

I want to guard the best wings and big on every team. I want to make their night tough to gain that respect defensively around the league.

I’m a green guy, the earth is important to me.

Of course, it’s a huge luxury having LeBron on our team. At the same time, we have to be ready to play and we have to do our job.

This is what being an athlete’s all about, being able to give back to our community, the people that support us night in, night out.

I’m a team-first guy.

When you look at not just for Sixth Man but also for any award in the NBA even when it comes to the MVP, you should look at their impact to their team.

Let LeBron be LeBron.

If I don’t play, that’s fine as long as we’re winning I’m going to cheer my teammates on.

If I came in and didn’t rebound, that would look bad on my part. People would be wondering, what was he doing the whole time?

Yeah, I definitely like broadcasting. And I’m looking forward to getting into it when my career is done.

It’s the playoffs. Teams are gonna go on runs.

If I’m not on the court, I have to be there to cheer my teammates on and from the sideline be there mentally and keep guys locked in and focused.

You never know what’s going to happen throughout the course of a season.

My goal is simple – try and make sure my guy doesn’t score. And if he does, make sure it’s a contested two, or a tough shot.

Even though I don’t live at home and I’m four hours away from home, I talk to my mom every day – ask how the kids are doing, ask how she’s doing, too.

I’m doing whatever my team needs me to be. Whether it’s play hard, screen-and-rolling, ducking in, whatever the team needs me to do to be successful, that’s all that I care about.

Guys see that I come to work every day, punch the clock. They see that, and I think my voice is respected because of it.

In the draft you always have a special bond and connection, especially if you have one that goes right after you, so it’s kind of always, I guess everybody thinks you’re competing.

Whoever says basketball ain’t a contact sport definitely lied.

I know I can block shots and I’ve got to do it. That’s part of my job as a big.

Whatever the team needs me to do to help us succeed, that’s what I’m about.

Sometimes, it’s the little plays that I make that can change the outcome of the game – whether it’s blocking a shot or blitzing a guard or getting an offensive rebound.

Coming off the bench, I’m able to view the game, see how their bigs are playing. And what I bring to the table is energy. The starters go in and run their bigs for a bit. When I check in it’s time to punch the clock and play hard.