Klay Thompson pulls a Michael Jordan after winning championship
May 14, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) stands on the court before the start of the game against the Portland Trail Blazers in game one of the Western conference finals of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Klay Thompson has been the subject of trade rumors in recent years, but the Golden State Warriors star does not plan on going anywhere. That would require playing for another head coach, and Thompson made it clear after Game 6 of the NBA Finals that he has no interest in that.
When asked on Thursday night about his future in Golden State, Thompson said he is going “full Michael Jordan” by saying he will not play for another head coach besides Steve Kerr. Thompson made the remark during a postgame interview with NBATV and reiterated it when Draymond Green asked him a similar question.
“I’m going full Michael Jordan. I ain’t playing for anybody but Steve. That’s the plan. It’ll be weird to be in another uni[form].”
Klay Thompson rests Draymond Green’s thoughts on whether he’s in it for the long haul 🤝
(🎥 via @TheVolumeSports)pic.twitter.com/iqKHZbhrfo
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 17, 2022
Thompson missed two full seasons with injuries in 2019-20 and 2020-21. The Warriors stuck with him and it paid off. The 32-year-old averaged 17.0 points during the NBA Finals and had some huge games.
It would not be a surprise if Thompson finished his career in Golden State. He has two years remaining on his current contract, and he will be 34 when it expires. Warriors executive Bob Myers hinted on Thursday that Thompson is in his plans going forward, so we don’t expect a trade this offseason.