What's with the "Him" stuff? Buddy was a stoner. He said lots of stuff, like anyone else, some of it was on the money, some wasn't. Why does everyone hang on everything he said with such seriousness? People change. Buddy carreer was 75 years + long. What he might have said in 1974 may be different that what he said in 1955.
Krupa played mostly traditional grip too, but while playing the floor tom he often switched to traditional as Buddy did...