Tristan Thompson strongly denies Celtics locker room rumor

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Tristan Thompson had something to get off his chest Wednesday night.

The Celtics big man appeared in his first game since March 14, returning from health and safety protocols to help lead Boston to a 101-99 win over the New York Knicks at TD Garden.

Wednesday also was Thompson's first game since a rumor surfaced during NBA trade deadline week that he was "not loved" in the Celtics' locker room "for numerous different reasons."

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The 30-year-old was asked about that rumor following Wednesday's game and didn't pull any punches in his denial.

"I laughed (when I saw the rumor)," Thompson told reporters, via The Boston Globe's Gary Washburn. "In my 10 years of playing basketball, I don't (think) there's one teammate that doesn't like me in the locker room. I know that was full of s---."

Jaylen Brown and Kemba Walker came to Thompson's defense on Twitter at the time to support their teammate, whose name was floated in potential trade talks.

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Now that Thompson is staying put and back in the lineup, he seems intent on clearing the air.

"I'm not going to let some guy with Twitter fingers bring down what I've built," Thompson added. "Good attempt but I'm Teflon steel, you can't bring me down. I'm too blessed and I'm too covered to be put down by your negativity or your reach."

There you have it.

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Thompson provided a huge boost Wednesday night, contributing eight points, seven rebounds and three blocks as a team-high plus-24 in 22 minutes of action. If the 10-year veteran can deliver more performances like that, he and his teammates should get along just fine.

"It was great to have him back," Jayson Tatum told reporters Wednesday. "We missed him a lot – just his presence out there and how physical he is."

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