The animosity between Kenyon Martin and Tim Thomas has outlived both players’ NBA careers.

It all began in 2004 when the Martin’s New Jersey Nets and Thomas’ New York Knicks collided in the playoffs. In Game 1 of that series, Thomas was hurt following a particular incident in the fourth quarter, when he fell on his back after contact with Jason Collins. Thomas was hospitalized afterward, but upon release, told reporters that he’d like to have some payback and even suggested that Martin was a fake tough guy.

Although both players really never got into a scrap with each other on the court, Martin tells Scoop B Radio that he would’ve beaten badly Thomas then. Brandon Robinson of Respect-Mag.com:

“I would have whooped his ass is what I would have done,” Kenyon Martin told me on Scoop B Radio.

Martin also said that the reason that he didn’t go after Thomas before was that he didn’t think that there’s anything Thomas should be mad about him. The BIG3 champion also went to say that it was the media’s own ploy that tricked Thomas into sparking a random feud with the Nets forward.

“The truth of the matter is, the man went at me for no reason. That is all that matters. I had nothing to do with the situation. I had nothing to do with the situation. The man got baited in like a dummy. He let the media bait him in and he fell for the bait like that is all it is. There is nothing more to it.

Martin last played in the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2014-15 campaign, five seasons earlier than Thomas, who suited up for the Dallas Mavericks in the 2009-10 season.

At best, it’s somehow amazing that after all these years, Martin and Thomas are still linked to each other for something that most basketball fans might have even forgotten about.