Tristan Thompson hopes Cavs retire his jersey, makes perfect analogy to ‘tough, gritty MFs’ of Cleveland

After spending the first nine years of his NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Tristan Thompson decided to it was time to move on during the offseason by signing with the Boston Celtics.

Thompson reflected on his time with the Cavs, and the one-time NBA champion hopes that one day his jersey will be hanging in the rafters in Cleveland.

“For people in Cleveland, just as a guy who was basically one of them,” Thompson said Sunday morning. “Blue collar. Hardworking. Punch the clock. Against all odds. People in Cleveland are always looked over. But people in Cleveland are genuine, hardworking, tough, gritty MFs. That’s how I was when I played. I hope people remember me as that. Hopefully one day my jersey is up in that arena.”

Thompson was one of the few Cavs that enjoyed the LeBron James era’s highs and the lowest lows once the future Hall of Famer left the team for the Los Angeles Lakers. He won a title playing alongside James and became a household name around the league as a result.

The veteran helped pick up the slack after James left the team for the bright lights of Los Angeles, resulting in consecutive seasons in which he averaged a double-double.

Thompson averaged a career-high 12.0 points per game to go along with 10.1 rebounds per game last season for the Cavs in what was arguably the best year of his career.

The 29-year-old is currently averaging 6.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game for the Celtics.