"Only have the greats have it in them" - Klay Thompson reserves high praise for LeBron James after he passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most combined points scored
It was a titanic showdown between two Western powerhouses as Klay Thompson's Golden State Warriors met the LA Lakers, led by LeBron James on Saturday. But it was Dubs superstar Klay Thompson who stole the show on the night with an incredible performance.
Addressing the media in his post-game presser, Klay Thompson was asked about LeBron James's eclipsing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record for most points scored when combining regular season and postseason exploits. Thompson said:
"That's unbelievable. I mean, Kareem, kinda feel for him because he had to play four years of collegial ball but that doesn't take anything away from what LeBron did. That type of consistency and dedication to the game, only the greats have that in him and, you know, he is obviously one of the best to ever do it."
Thompson continued:
"So, I don't know how much longer he has, maybe its 2 years, 3, but NBA fans should just appreciate him while we are watching an amazing athlete."
Klay spoke about the greatness of LeBron James: https://t.co/LIJmRyZ21h
Klay Thompson and LeBron James' history
LeBron James and Klay Thompson have quite the history. The duo, along with their teams the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers, competed for the NBA championship from 2015 to 2018 with Thompson's side winning the championship on three occasions and LeBron's team once - in 2016.
It was considered to be the pinnacle of modern day basketball when the two sides met in the NBA Finals for four straight years. Affairs were hardly equitable, though, as the Warriors posed Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, while James had two All-Star teammates in Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, but the latter left the Cavs in 2017.
However, one point between the duo where there was no love loss as one of the most iconic moments in the history of the NBA was the comments made by Thompson during the 2016 NBA Finals, preceding Game 4 and with the Warriors up 3-1.
Klay Thompson comments on LeBron James' reaction to his altercation with Draymond Green. es.pn/1Ym0S0t https://t.co/cXEj4aHyRQ
LeBron James just chuckled at these comments by Thompson, and took the high road and let his performances do the talking as his Cavs team came back from a 3-1 down deficit to win the 2016 NBA Finals. James was awarded the Finals MVP for his performances as he captured his third championship.
Soon after, Thompson did exact revenge as his Warriors team beat LeBron and co. 4-1 in the 2017 NBA Finals and swept them in the 2018 NBA Finals. While the duo haven't exchanged much conversation since, we could see them reignite this rivalry in the postseason this year if King James and the Lakers can get their act together and win games.