Andre Drummond Says He Intentionally Elbowed Teammate in Face Before for Taking His Rebounds

Cleveland Cavaliers center Andre Drummond is known for his rebounding prowess.

The University of Connecticut product has averaged 13.8 rebounds per game for his career, but when he was playing for the Detroit Pistons, one of his teammates attempted to lower that total.

Drummond revealed that he actually punched that teammate for stealing his rebounds.

“I’ve put my hands on my teammates before,” Drummond said on the Mickstape Podcast. “It doesn’t matter who. It was in Detroit, he’s actually one of my really close friends, too.

“I had to put my hands on him when we first got him. I told him to do something and he didn’t do it. I gave him a warning and he still didn’t do it.”

What was the warning?

“I punched him in the head,” Drummond said. “He didn’t do it again. It happened more than once too. It was because of rebounds.

“He’s a rebounding player too, as a guard. He kept coming to take my rebounds, so I pulled him aside during a timeout and said, ‘Yo bro, you don’t see me trying to go for 50 every night, don’t try to come in for rebounds.’”

Drummond said that he let the rebound stealing slide a handful of times, but he got to a point where he had to make a statement.

“I just got to a point where I elbowed him in the head the next time he jumped,” Drummond said.

Drummond seems to have avoided this problem in his eight games with the Cavaliers.

The two-time All-Star has averaged 17.5 points and 11.1 rebounds per game as a member of the Cavs this season.