Klay Thompson and Devin Booker trash talk, revisited: Connection between Warriors, Suns guards extends beyond chatter about 'four rings'

Jordan Greer

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Klay Thompson and Devin Booker trash talk, revisited: Connection between Warriors, Suns guards extends beyond chatter about 'four rings' image

On Oct. 25, Warriors fans witnessed one of the rarest sights in basketball history: an angry Klay Thompson.

During the second half of an early-season contest between Golden State and Phoenix, Thompson got into a heated verbal altercation with Devin Booker, leading to the first ejection of Thompson's career.

The Suns took control of the game following Thompson's departure and blew the Warriors off the floor in a 29-point win, but the Thompson vs. Booker battle overshadowed the final result.

What sparked this war of words? And how did it impact the Thompson-Booker relationship?

MORE: Why Warriors are sending James Wiseman to G League

Klay Thompson and Devin Booker trash talk, revisited

During the third quarter of the October matchup, Thompson and Booker began jawing back and forth. TNT cameras caught a bit of chirping that transpired with 7:24 on the clock.

Cooler heads did not prevail, as Thompson and Booker just kept going.

Veteran NBA referee Ed Malloy called a double-technical foul on Thompson and Booker. When Thompson wouldn't calm down, Malloy sent him to the locker room early. Booker shot the technical free throw only one minute of game time after the initial exchange.

As Thompson walked off the Footprint Center floor, he gestured toward his hand and yelled in the direction of the Suns' bench, seemingly referencing his four championships.

Thompson finished with two points on 1-of-8 shooting in 19 minutes. Booker had 34 points on 10-of-19 shooting in 35 minutes. Phoenix won by a final score of 134-105.

During his postgame media availability, Booker explained that the situation was a product of "just two competitors" refusing to back down. He also noted that Thompson was, indeed, talking about his titles.

"They have four rings, so they're gonna use that in all their trash talk — rightfully so," Booker said. "But that doesn't have nothing to do with competing."

The Klay Thompson-Devin Booker relationship

Thompson and Booker have a connection that goes well beyond one in-game interaction.

As Booker told TNT's Chris Haynes, he wanted to be just like Thompson when he first entered the league in 2015 as a young shooting guard out of Kentucky.

"Man, I love Klay Thompson," Booker said. "I have from the beginning. From the draft, coming out, I said I wanted to be Klay Thompson. That doesn't excuse us from competing against each other and talking a little mess with each other, so I have fun with it.

"[I'm a] big fan of his and his competitive nature. And that's that."

Thompson offered tremendous praise for Booker back in 2016 when both players attended Team USA training camp. 

"First of all, he's only 19. That's unbelievable. When I was 19, I wasn't even thinking about the league," Thompson said. "I was still in college just trying to get to my next class and trying to handle the next day. To see his growth, just in his rookie year, he's gonna be one of the best two-guards in this league one day.

"He's such a good shooter, but he's got such a great floor game as well. So, I'm a big fan of Devin. Phoenix got a real steal out of him. He's got a very high ceiling. It still baffles me. He's only 19, right? Yeah, that's unbelievable."

But the respect goes even deeper than basketball. In his first public comments on the altercation and ejection, Thompson revealed that Booker reached out to him after he tore his Achilles in November 2020.

"He was actually one of the first people to text me when I tore my Achilles and said, 'The shooting guard battle won't be the same,'" Thompson said. "So, I got a lot of respect for him, and when he did that, that meant a lot to me.

"Stuff happens in this league. We leave it on the floor."

Warriors vs. Suns games 2022-23

Golden State and Phoenix will meet a total of four times during the 2022-23 regular season. The next game will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 16, a game you can watch on Sling TV.

Fans in the U.S. can watch the biggest games of the 2022-23 NBA season on Sling TV. Stream Sling Orange for $40/month to catch all regular season games on TNT, ESPN & ABC. For games on NBA TV, subscribe to Sling Orange & Sports Extra for $51/month. Local regional blackout restrictions apply.

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Date Result Time (ET) TV channel
Oct. 25 Suns 134, Warriors 105 10 p.m. TNT
Nov. 16 Warriors at Suns 10 p.m. ESPN
Jan. 10 Suns at Warriors 10 p.m. TNT
March 13 Suns at Warriors 10 p.m. ESPN

Jordan Greer

Jordan Greer Photo

Jordan Greer has been with The Sporting News since 2015. He previously worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He is a graduate of Westminster College and Syracuse University.