“I don’t need to be flexing 4 rings” – Klay Thompson admits being ‘insecure’ while trash-talking Devin Booker
Over the years, Klay Thompson has been known to engage in trash-talking with opponents. However, the All-Star guard recently admitted that it's a part of his persona that he regrets.
One of Thompson's more notable beefs is with Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker. Things got so heated between the two that he was ejected from a game. On the way out, he let Booker and the crowd know that he has four championship rings on his resume.
While on Paul George's "Podcast P" show, Thompson opened up on this incident with Booker and the Phoenix Suns' crowd.
Looking back on it, he feels there is no need to be insecure after the things he's been able to accomplish in his career:
"I don't need to be flexing four rings bro," Thompson said. "Like everybody knows that.
"We all get insecure at times. I'm man enough to admit that we all have our moments of weakness."
After missing over two years due to injury, Thompson was able to get a full season under his belt in 2023. He appeared in 69 games for the Golden State Warriors and averaged 21.9 points while shooting 41.2% from beyond the arc.
Klay Thompson's past could have led to "insecure" moment with Devin Booker
In hindsight, Klay Thompson knows he didn't need to engage with Devin Booker to this degree. That being said, how his career has played out recently could have been a factor in feeling insecure.
During the 2019 NBA Finals, Thompson suffered an ACL injury that caused him to miss a year. Then, during his rehab, he sustained an Achilles injury that forced cost him another year.
Now fully healthy again, Thompson might feel he needs to prove himself once again. Booker might have made comments about him not being the same which led to him showing off his rings.
Over the years, we've seen countless players not be able to handle the decline of their careers. With a decade under his belt now, Thompson might see the end of his prime rapidly approaching.
At the end of the day, he's a high-level athlete that is still extremely competitive.