Klay Thompson Makes Big Statement on Future With Warriors

Klay Thompson is open to a reduced role with the Golden State Warriors
Klay Thompson Makes Big Statement on Future With Warriors
Klay Thompson Makes Big Statement on Future With Warriors /
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Very few NBA stars are able to maintain an elite level of play late into their careers. This is especially true for players who have dealt with significant injuries, as that decline comes even faster for them. This is what Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson is experiencing right now, as the five-time All-Star is still a good player, but not who he was at his peak.

Accepting this reality is already difficult, but can be even harder when contracts and roles are affected. This is the case for Thompson, who has admitted that not closing games is hard to deal with, but also recently shared with Logan Murdock of The Ringer that he is open to a reduced role if it means he gets to stay in Golden State.

“Yeah, there’s nothing wrong with that,” Thompson told Murdock. “I’ll be 35 next year. At 35, coming off the ACL and an Achilles [tear] and still have the ability to be a really good player. Maybe not the guy who scored 60 in three quarters and scored an NBA record 37 points in a quarter, but still a great threat out there. I’ve modeled my game after Reggie [Miller] and Ray [Allen], and those guys were incredibly effective until their late 30s. So I plan on kind of following that mold.”

This is a big statement from Thompson, and one that makes his future in Golden State a lot easier to navigate for he and the team.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn52@gmail.com Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis and reporting Experience: Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.