Klay Thompson: Maverick Now, Warrior Forever

Photo Credit: Give Me Sport

It was mid-morning in late January 2015. My family and I had just gotten off our flight from Cleveland to Florida, where we would be meeting my grandparents.

While we walked to collect our baggage, I could hear a group of men murmuring to each other as they walked a few feet in front of us.

I tried to pay them no mind, but I couldn’t help but pick up on bits and pieces of their conversation.

“37 points in the 3rd…”

“13/13 from the field…”

“9/9 from three…”

“Finished with 52 in the game…”

Curious, I immediately went on Twitter, and as soon as I opened the app, I saw the Bleacher Report headline.

“Klay Thompson just scored 37 points in the 3rd quarter against the Kings.”

I could not believe it. 37 points in an entire game is remarkable, especially as it was less common than it is nine years later, but 37 in a single quarter?

No way.

I quickly went onto the ESPN app and kept scrolling through Twitter, and sure enough, it was all over.

He literally did not miss a shot and only took two free throws the entire time, something else that is rare in today’s game whenever you see someone put up big numbers in the box score (thanks, James Harden).

Over a 12-year career with the Golden State Warriors, these outbursts would become something of a regular occurrence for Thompson.

Whether that be 52 points and 14 threes, an NBA record, in three quarters against the Chicago Bulls.

60 points, 40 in the first half in 29 minutes against the Indiana Pacers.

43 points on only four dribbles against the New York Knicks.

41 points and 11 threes in a Game 6 elimination game down 3-2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The list goes on and on.

As a Cleveland Cavalier fan, I became all too familiar with these outbursts, with the Cavs playing the Warriors in four straight Finals.

And while Stephen Curry will get the majority of the credit, there would be no Warriors dynasty without Klay.

Thompson’s career in Golden State began in 2011, when he was selected 11th overall by the Warriors. In his first three seasons, he showed improvement in every facet of his game and even became a full-time starter by year two, earning the “Splash Brothers” nickname with Stephen Curry.

However, the Warriors were never able to make it past the second round during those years.

Following the 2013-2014 season, coach Mark Jackson was let go by the front office, and Steve Kerr was hired to take over the reins. That’s when everything changed.

Not only would Thompson become an all-star the following year and be named as a member of the All-NBA 3rd team, but the Warriors would go 67-15 on the year, taking home their first NBA title in 40 years.

The following year, he would earn a second all-star nod/All-NBA 3rd team award, as well as his first NBA three-point competition win, helping to lead the Warriors to an NBA record 73 wins, though they would fall short of an NBA championship.

Cementing himself as a Warriors legend, Thompson would receive all-star nods in each of the next three seasons, winning championships in two of them, and being named to the All-NBA Defensive Second Team in 2019.

But Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals would see Thompson tear his ACL, sidelining him until 2022, when he would come back, once again proving himself to be a key cog to the Warriors’ success, and help them reclaim the NBA throne as champions.

For his career in the Bay, Thompson made 2,481 three-pointers, good for 6th all-time. He also made the 7th most threes in a single season, with 301 in 2022-2023, further cementing himself as one of the all-time great shooters in the game of basketball.

He also became part of one of the greatest trios in NBA history while there, with him, Curry, and Draymond Green heading a dragon of a team that terrorized the NBA for almost a decade.

I think I speak for all NBA fans when I say it is going to be very weird and will take time to get used to seeing Thompson don a jersey that isn’t blue and gold.

But with the front office making it clear they will retire Thompson’s jersey after he retires, immortalizing him in Dub’s fans’ hearts, one thing is clear.

No matter how many other uniforms he wears.

No matter how well he performs for the rest of his career.

Klay Thompson is a Warrior forever.