Klay Thompson and Devin Booker went back and forth during the Warriors' 134-105 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.
Their heated exchange resulted in the Splash Brother getting an early escort to the locker room.
One day after Thompson's first career ejection, comments from July of 2016 by the star two-guards surfaced on Twitter.
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At the time, Booker had just finished his rookie NBA season in Phoenix. He was one of 25 players on the 2016 USA Select Team training alongside the United States Olympic team, which featured Warriors players Thompson, Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes.
"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, trying to handle the next day. To see is growth, just in his rookie year, he’s going to be one of the best two-guards in this league one day."
Booker, selected No. 13 overall by the Suns in the 2015 NBA Draft, averaged 13.8 points and shot 34.3 percent from 3-point range in 76 games as a rookie.
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"He’s such a great shooter, but he’s got such a great floor game as well," Thompson said. "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."
One reporter caught up with the 19-year-old Booker and revealed Thompson's high praise.
"That’s a big statement, especially coming from one of the top guards in the league right now," Booker said. "It means a lot hearing that from guys like that."
Six years later, the respect remains between the two sharpshooters, even after Tuesday night's spat.
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"[Thompson] was just having a tough night," Booker said after Tuesday's game. "I think everything plays into that. Just frustration, I've been there before. You know what [the Warriors] have; they have four rings and they're going to use that in all the trash talk, rightfully so. Respectfully. But that don't have nothing to do with competing."
Their fracas was just a result of two cutthroat competitors doing what they do best.
The Warriors are hoping Thompson's ejection can get his 2022-23 NBA season off the ground and take a leading role in the team's championship repeat dreams.