Watch: Unseen footage surfaces of Klay Thompson kicking a chair at Warriors assistant coach and ignoring Steph Curry
On Tuesday (Feb. 6), footage of Klay Thompson surfaced on X/Twitter from the game between the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns on Dec. 12, 2023, which the Warriors lost 119-116.
The video highlighted a moment during a fourth-quarter timeout where Thompson, known for his calm and collected demeanor, appeared visibly upset. The five-time All-Star was seen furiously kicking a Warriors' bench toward a coaching staff member seated right behind.
The 33-year-old could then be seen talking to someone from the coaching staff, throwing his hands up in frustration as if trying to explain something in futility. The video managed to capture a bit of what he said:
"God damn!"
This was followed by the Warriors leader and superstar Steph Curry approaching him, hoping to calm his teammate down. Curry calmly put his hands over Thompson's shoulders and said:
"Come on, come on."
Thompson walked by Curry, ignoring him initially, which led to the latter saying:
"Let me talk to you, hey."
Thompson continued to avoid Curry and sat on the bench, visibly flustered and trying to calm himself with heavy breathing, albeit shaking his head in dismay.
Klay Thompson's fourth-quarter struggles led to coach Steve Kerr changing rotations
Klay Thompson's box score in the game was way below his averages. Though he started the game, he did not play in the fourth quarter.
His teammate and pick-and-roll partner Draymond Green got ejected for hitting Jusuf Nurkic in the third quarter, significantly impacting the Warriors' chances.
Thompson ended the night, logging 27 minutes, seven points, and five rebounds on 2-of-8 shooting and 4-of-15 from beyond the arc at 20% and 12.5%, respectively.
Coach Kerr used his bench in tandem with Curry to contest in the fourth. The Warriors bench combined for 80 points, along with Curry's 24.
Klay Thompson made to sit out again in the fourth vs. Brooklyn Nets
The Warriors' 109-98 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday, Feb. 5, to go 2-1 in their road trip saw Thompson getting taken out in the fourth quarter again.
He struggled in the 30 minutes of playtime, ending the game early with eight points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals on 4-of-9 and 0-of-3 shooting from the 3-point line.
Following the game, Klay Thompson was asked how it felt not to close out games and be on the bench. He replied:
“Yeah, you kidding me? To go from one of the best players…It’s hard for anybody.”