In this episode of the Draymond Green Show, host Draymond Green interviews former Cleveland Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson about the team's mental and strategic approach after falling behind 3-1 in the 2016 NBA Finals. Thompson explains how the Cavs dissected the Warriors' slip-screen tactics, scouted injuries (Iguodala’s back, Klay Thompson’s calf, Draymond’s medication regimen), and leveraged travel fatigue to fuel belief that Game 5 could force a seventh game. He describes the locker‑room conversations that emphasized “no one wants to fly back to Cleveland” and the confidence that a win at home would swing the series. Thompson also notes the psychological edge gained by observing Warriors frustration (mouthpiece incident) and how that reinforced the Cavs’ resolve. The dialogue shifts to the Warriors’ 2017 acquisition of Kevin Durant, with Thompson humorously calling it a “steal” and reflecting on the legacy of the Warriors’ back‑to‑back championships versus his own single ring. The interview ends with typical YouTube sign‑off.
Chapters
So let's talk about it. 2016, we're in the NBA Finals. We're up 3-1. I get suspended from Game 5. But like, talk to me about y'all mindset. Like, you go down 3-1, you're coming back to Golden State. What's the conversation like to even get y'all back to a mental space of like, we're down 3-1, we're going here for Game 5, we need to win. Talk to me about the conversations in that locker room.
I think what was key was like leading up to that, that, that, that, that Game 4 loss because Game 3 was in Cleveland. We won that game and Game 4 we lost to you guys in Cleveland making us down 3-1. But the way we lost that game was something very simple where you guys were running a 1-2 pick and roll with Klay and Steph and, and Klay would keep slipping and it was Kyrie and JR. Kyrie and JR was the matchup on, on, on Klay and Steph.
Mm-hmm.
And they kept slipping and Kyrie and, and, and JR, I guess something, the miscommunication was off. So it wasn't more, so like we felt like we beat ourselves that game just because we weren't, the lack of communication with those slip outs. And you guys basically started a whole trend with these slip out screens, right? So we felt, so I remember after that game, Bronson, the text, I'm like, you know, like we're right there. Like, listen, don't come on the plane if you don't think we can come back and win this series. Yeah. 'Cause we felt like even though we lost game 4, we felt like we could, it was a winnable game.
Mm-hmm.
It was something that we, it was self-inflicted wounds where we felt like, okay, we can, we can do this. So going into game 5, now our mentality was like, listen, we know how long that flight is. We know these boys do not wanna come back to Cleveland. They do not wanna come back to Cleveland. Nobody wants to take a 6-hour flight from San, from San Fran all the way back to Cleveland, Ohio to play a basketball game. So we said, listen, If we win game 5, this is going 7 games. And the reason why we believed in that was because during that time, I believe Iggy's back was hurt. His back was hurt.
Mm-hmm.
I remember we actually had practice. We did a little snooping too. We had practice at your guys' court. We walked in and whoever your trainer was at the time had all your guys' names down with all your guys' injuries. And I remember you, you were on like, you were on a bunch of medicine, like, You were on like ibuprofen. You were on a bunch of shit. I was like, I'm like, man, you're like on 4 medications. Then you see Iggy's back. You see Klay's. Remember Klay had the sleeve on his calf.
Yeah.
So his calf was acting up. So we said, oh, these guys are breaking down. These guys are breaking down. So if we can, if we can get Game 5, we don't, we know mentally, 'cause you know, basketball's a, it becomes in the playoffs, it's all a mental thing.
Absolutely.
So we're like, mentally, these boys do not want to come back to Cleveland for a Game 6. Absolutely not. So if we can get Game 5, we can push this to 7th. 'Cause we know we can win at home. We're at home, we know we win it at home. So that was our mindset. And Bron, who's the leader he is, he said, don't come on this plane unless you could believe we could come back. And sure enough, everyone showed up. We believed that. And you know, obviously Timu talks about the story about putting a $100 bill up in the vents and we'll come back and get it. And so once we win game 5, you know, Kyrie, Bron both have 40, right?
Yeah.
So that's crazy. And the finishes that Kyrie had, I think he had the and-1. With the lefty layup and one, like, from— I think it was like either Riva Verdi or something. Yeah, it was like— That stuff that Kyrie could do with his wrist game, it was just like crazy. So now we're at Game 7, and we just believed in each other. We just believed in each other. And obviously, we knew that you guys had injuries. And, you know, obviously, without you in the game, which helped us a lot, you know, you getting suspended, that was huge. And obviously, we started noticing Steph getting frustrated. You know, with the throwing of the mouthpiece. So we noticed those little mental, 'cause you know, like those are, those are mental errors. Like, you know that you can't do that stuff, but we saw, okay, these a little, these a little chess pieces. Like mentally they're, they're getting frustrated. You know what I'm saying? And I would be frustrated too if I'm up 3-1 and, and it's like the game, Larry O'Brien's right there. So those little chess pieces of your guys' frustration let us know we had a chance still, which helped us believe even more. So that's kind of like, It was like a mental game at that point for us. 'Cause the basketball, we could figure out, you know what I'm saying? We knew mentally you guys were getting frustrated and you guys were actually banged up or hurt. So we say, okay, like let's just keep applying the pressure and extend the series, you know?
Absolutely. It's crazy too. Remember Bogut was out with the rib.
Yes, yes.
Brogdon had a broken rib and he missed the game.
Mm-hmm.
Nah, we were beat up and—
Yeah.
And then obviously the suspension was what it was. But you know, you guys come back and you come back, you win the 2016 championship, which was huge. And for y'all, for yourself, but also in NBA history, like, was huge. I'm actually not mad about that at all because then we come back in 2017 and we got Kevin Durant. Yeah.
What's the thinking then?
Like, what's the thinking? We come back next year with Kevin Durant.
Man, I— when you guys came back with Kevin Durant, I said, how is this? I said, these guys are out of control. I said, I was joking around. I'm like, man, these guys sold their soul to the devil. How the hell you guys pull this off? I said, how do these guys pull this off? You guys are 73-9. You lose in the finals. And you get Kevin Durant. That's the gift you get? I mean, that's not a bad trade. 2 champions, you give up 1 championship to get 2? That's kind of, we call that a deal. We call that a steal.
We call that a steal.
So that was actually a good trade-off that you guys did. So I appreciate that 'cause I wanted my 1 ring. At least I got 1, right?
No, absolutely. And by the way, most people don't have that.
Yeah.
And no one's talking about, "Oh man, you're a 1-time champion, 4-time." When you get in the meat of it, you talk about that, you're a champion.
Exactly.
We talk about resumes coming on, Draymond, you're a champion.
Yeah, exactly.
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