Danny Ainge Denies Rumors Of Friction Between Tristan Thompson, Celtics Teammates

Tristan Thompson’s list of public supporters on the Boston Celtics now includes Danny Ainge.

The Boston Celtics president of basketball operations strongly denied rumors of discord between the veteran center and some of teammates Friday during his appearance on The Sports Hub 98.5’s “Toucher and Rich” show. Ainge left no wiggle room in his description of the rumors, calling them “completely false,” according to Forbes’ Chris Grenham.

Ainge joins Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown and Brad Stevens among prominent Celtics, who have refuted the rumors in recent days.

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor and The Athletic’s Jared Weiss both have reported frustration with Thompson exists inside the Celtics’ locker room, with the former citing playing time and the latter pointing to his contract as the source. Thompson also was subject of a few trade rumors ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, but the Celtics held onto him.

Where the story of Thompson’s relationships with his teammates goes next is uncertain, and we can expect additional denials when they happen to pop up.