Tristan Thompson thinks very highly of his former teammate, and no amount of blowback will change that.
The Cleveland Cavaliers big man recently claimed Kyrie Irving will be a first-ballot Basketball Hall of Famer, insisting there's "nothing to argue" when you look at the Boston Celtics guard's résumé.
Late Tuesday night, Thompson reiterated that stance.
First-ballot Hall of Famers aren't exactly a dime a dozen: Only 44 of the 395 current members were inducted in their first year of eligibility. And considering Irving is just 26 years old, some wondered if Thompson took his praise of the ex-Cavs guard a little too far.
But we think Thompson has a pretty good case with Irving. The dynamic point guard likely will make his sixth All-Star team this season and already is both an NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist, playing a central role on both title teams.
If Irving continues to play at such a high level into his 30s, he should be a lock for the Hall of Fame, and one or two more NBA championships could be enough to get him on the first ballot.
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Kyrie certainly isn't looking that far ahead, though; he's just trying to get back on the court after suffering an eye injury Monday against the San Antonio Spurs.
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