"We’ve tasted a championship, so we wanna have that feeling again" - Klay Thompson says reaching the NBA Finals with a bunch of “outcasts” is nothing short of a Hollywood script
Klay Thompson has been one of the top contributors to the Golden State Warriors’ success over the last decade. The Warriors making it to the 2022 NBA Finals is not a story for the franchise alone, but also a personal fulfillment for Thompson. He has returned from injury after two full seasons.
When the regular season commenced, there was a lot of doubt around the Warriors’ prospects. Steph Curry was healthy, but Thompson was yet to return, and the narrative was that the Warriors were not as strong as their championship season.
“It’s like a Hollywood script”
@warriors SG @KlayThompson tells @Scalabrine why this season was about proving the doubters wrong. #DubNation #NBAFinals https://t.co/PcNInGwwWT
Klay Thompson addressed what reaching the NBA Finals meant in an interview with “SiriusXM.” He called the team’s reply to the setback as nothing short of a Hollywood film, stating:
“It’s like a Hollywood script, really. I mean, when you look at the pre-season predictions from all the pundits and the 'experts' that we had not a lot of people in our corner.”
The Golden State Warriors’ roster includes a lot of guys who are still young in the league, and haven’t proven themselves. But players like Jordan Poole and Kevon Looney fit well within the system, as displayed in the playoffs this year.
Otto Porter Jr., Gary Payton II and Jonathan Kuminga have made themselves useful as well, answering whenever called upon.
Klay Thompson mentioned how the team isn’t satisfied with just the Western Conference championship, but wants to win it all:
“Doing it with a bunch of guys who might have been, you know, outcast in free agency, kind of revived all our careers. It’s special. But we’re not satisfied with just getting here.
“We’ve tasted a championship, so we wanna have that feeling again. And we know how hard that is, especially this part of the year. You know, emotions run high and there’s momentum shifts every game. So, we just gotta stay even keeled if we want to get there.”
Klay Thompson is just as valuable, despite being out for two whole seasons
Thompson’s return from an Achilles injury could not have been timed better. He had enough time to get into a rhythm before the post-season.
During the season, Klay Thompson played 32 games, averaging 20.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists. He has had some good games in the playoffs as well.
"I'll probably just YouTube Game 6 Klay.”
Klay Thompson on getting out of his shooting slump 😅
(via @NBATV)
https://t.co/2F2OgCGv4A
Against the Dallas Mavericks, Klay Thompson dropped 32 points in the deciding Game 5. He converted eight shots from beyond the arc. What Thompson brings on the court for the Warriors is not just his ability to create offense, but his significant experience in the finals.
Against the Boston Celtics, Thompson is yet to have a highlight night, but Steve Kerr won't be too worried. It doesn’t take much time for Klay to get into a shooting streak. That threat is something the Celtics will have to account for in their defensive plans.