The Warriors’ understated All-Star
Set tomake his fourth appearance this weekend, Klay Thompson has remained grounded.
OAKLAND » The answer was as predictable as Klay Thompson draining an open shot.
The question was whether he wants to stay with the Warriors when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2019.
“Absolutely,” he said. “Playing for one team your whole career is definitely special. Only so many guys have done it in professional sports, so it’ll be a goal of mine. Hopefully it all works out.”
Thompson is so hopeful of making it all work that he said last fall, in an interview with The Athletic, he would consider a hometown-discount contract from theWarriors.
Thompson declined to revisit that topic this week. But ever since being drafted by theWarriors in 2011, he has selflessly viewed things through blueand-gold-colored glasses.
“It’s so far away,” Thompson said of his pending free agency. “Anything I cando to staywith theWarriors is first and foremost. God willing, it happens. If not, I don’t even think about that.”
Thompson’s thought process captures what makes him such a coveted
star on aWarriors teamthat has three others in Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green.
Thompson, 28, will make his fourth All-Star appearance Sunday in Los Angeles because of his consistency with outside shooting, defense and team-first attitude. Thompson will participate in the NBA’s 3-point contest Saturday in what will mark his fourth appearance. And with those qualities serving as a key ingredient toGolden State’s championship recipe, theWarriorswant to reward Thompson.
“He’s certainly shown his worth here,” Warriors general manager Bob Myers said, “It’s pretty undeniable how important he is. There’s not a lot of guys that can do what he does and be as humble and selfless as he is.”
That raises one question: how does Thompson remain so grounded amid increasing team success and personal glory?
“We’ve won a lot. That doesn’t happen by being an individual,” said Thompson the third-leading scorer on the Warriors with 20.1 points per game. “In the history of the NBA, all the greatest teams that ever played had great talent. It wasn’t just one or two guys. It was a complete roster. That’s what we have.”
Mychal Thompson, Klay’s father and a former Showtime Lakers player, gave his son an early glimpse on how to be a professional athlete. He provided insight beyond shooting mechanics and defensive fundamentals. He often preached to Klay about the importance of treating others with respect, making time for fans and viewing money as a blessing instead of a priority.
“We try to instill that humility into him,” said Mychal, an analyst for Lakers radio broadcasts. “Fame and fortune can be fleeting. You don’t want to make that your God.”
Instead, Klay has worshipped something more pure.
“He enjoys being around ball,” Durant said. “He enjoys being in the gym and working on his game. He never lets any of the (BS) of the NBAbusinessget intheway.”
A typical Thompson performance: He drains 3-pointers and pull-up jumpers. He defends the opposing team’s best perimeter player. And he completes his job without saying much.
“He doesn’t need any accolades. He doesn’t care,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “He justwants to live his life. He enjoys himself and he enjoys his routine. None of the other stuff matters to him.”
That has given the Warriors a unique identity.
“When you have a guy like that who understands how great he is and doesn’t need the praise, doesn’t need the glitz or the glamour, it allows a certain bond between guys that’s hard to find,” Green said. “Does Klay want to be an All-Star every year? Yeah. He has been. Does he want to average a certain amount of points? Yes, he does. Does he want to win a championship? Yes, he does. He’s one of themost competitive people I’ve been around. But he’s just not moved by all the extra stuff.”
That does not mean Thompson remains satisfied.
With a stated goal of reaching the “50- 40- 90” club, Thompson remains on pace with his field-goal percentage (49.4) and 3-point shooting (45.4). But he has fallen short on his free-throw shooting (86.3), prompting Klay and Mychal to agree that he needs to be more aggressive to the hoop in order to get to the foul linemore often. He needs to take greater advantage of his size (6-foot7, 215 pound) near the glass.
“The best has yet to come where he will combine more of his physical skills with even more of his experience and championship knowledge,” Mychal said. “We still have yet to see the best of Klay.”
Although Thompson has aspirations to expand his game, he has no aspirations to become the team’s focal point.
“Realizing you can’t do anything by yourself is the first key to success,” he said.
So when the Warriors acquired Durant in the 2016 offseason, Thompson viewed the addition of another star — an MVP, no less — as something that wouldmake the Warriors better rather than howitmightmake him lesser.
“For some guys, that could rub them the wrong way,” said Denver Nuggets coach MikeMalone, aWarriors assistant for Thompson’s first three seasons. “But if your whole goal is to be a world champion, you’re notworried about yourself. You check your ego at the door.”
Thompson made one thing clear, though. He told TheVertical shortly afterDurant’s signing that “I’m not sacrificing (expletive), because my game isn’t changing.” That did not mean he would become consumed with his statistics. It meant he would maintain his aggressiveness.
Kerr said the chemistry among Thompson, Curry and Durant “all worked perfectly because they all have the same mentality” in regards to shot selection and off-ball movement.
Green suggests another reason it might work for Klay: “‘Kevin is going to take some publicity away from me? Klay’s like, ‘I don’t care. Good.’ He may take away a couple of interviews? Klay’s like, ‘Great. Please do. Take all of them.’ ”
Thosewaiting for Thompson to become frustrated withhis position in theWarriors galaxywill need to keep waiting.
“There’s no ploy, ego or anything. He just loves life,” Warriors center Zaza Pachulia said. “There’s a great chance for him to be more successful with more money, more rings and fame. And it’s not going to change him.”
Thompson’s teammates struggle to recall a time when he acted out of character.
Pachulia, citing a questionable foul call in a recent game, said Thompson’s outburst consisted of him walking up to the official and asking, “What?” Green said Thompson is unruffled whenever he screams at him about shot selection. Thompson’s common retort: “They pay me to shoot.”
Said Green, smiling at the imagery: “You yell at him, he keeps it moving. You yell at him for taking a bad shot, he’s taking the next bad one. That’s justwho he is. But he’s always team-first. It’s always about the team. I don’t know many people who love winning as much as he does.”
And because of that, the Warriors have everything Thompson wants.
“His future depends on Warriors management and Warriors ownership,” Mychal said of his son. “He wants to stay there and has no intention of leaving. He has no desire to leave. As long as he’s producing and playing well, he’s hoping the Warriors want him as much as he wants them.”
When Mychal’s quote is relayed to Myers, the WarriorsGMsaid: “That’s a great thing to hear.”
But howwill that translate contractually?
The Warriors have $86 million in committed payroll forwhenThompson becomes a free agent in 2019, well shy of their current $135 million. But that doesnotaccount for Durant, who can opt out of his current contract this summer. That was a condition of Durant taking a $10 million pay cut last summer so the Warriors could keep the band together.
Durant doesn’t think Thompson should feel obligated to do the same.
“I just want Klay to do whatever is best for himself,” Durant said. “What I did, I didn’t want to put pressure on him to do anything. I did it because I wanted to do it. If I didn’t want to do it, I wouldn’t have done it. Iwant him to dowhatever he wants andwhatever is best forhim. We’re all going to love him no matter what he chooses.”
For now, Thompson’s sights are set on All Star Weekend. He’d like to win the 3-point shooting contest, as he did two years ago. For the game Sunday, hewill be coming off the bench for a team captained by Curry. You can guess how he feels about that.
“I feel great,” he said. “I’m healthy. We’re in first place right now. I can’t complain.”
That shouldn’t surprise anybody. The Warriors have rarely heard Thompson complain, regardless of the circumstances.