Isaiah Thomas and Julius Randle caught some headlines for a mid-game argument, but perhaps surprising to some, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton thought highly of the verbal spat.
According to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmusik, Walton said he was happy to see the anger because it meant the players are passionate.
“I didn’t see what it was about; I like it though. I told them afterward, I love it. As long as they’re open-minded and whatever they were arguing about, they get it figured out.
After the game, both Thomas and Randle said the argument was a beneficial conversation that resulted from a misunderstanding on the court. Randle called Thomas “my dude” and said it was nothing personal.
Even rookie guard Lonzo Ball said “they figured everything out” and the disagreement had no effect on the locker room. He and center Brook Lopez stepped between Thomas and Randle to prevent any escalation.
Walton acknowledged some disputes have the potential to become a bad thing, but he believed that wouldn’t be the case here.
Although it may seem strange teammates fighting on the court is well-received, the Lakers appear to have this under control.