The Golden State Warriors have not had the finest of starts to the season, and that is particularly true of Klay Thompson. The veteran guard has seen his points per game drop this season, and he is shooting worse from three-point range than ever before.
Thompson may have come to a turning point, however. Following Tuesday’s win over the Orlando Magic, he admitted that coach Steve Kerr had spoken with him one-on-one about his “negative energy” and how Thompson can refocus going forward.
Klay reveals his candid conversation with Kerr discussing his negative energy, becoming a mentor for the young guys, and the final chapter of his career 🔽 pic.twitter.com/l3602NqXUw
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) January 3, 2024
“Steve and I had a great conversation yesterday. That helped me relax a lot,” Thompson said after the game. “Sometimes, I forget just how successful and how lucky I’ve been to be a part of championship teams and All-Star games and gold medals. You want to get back to that level so badly, you can kind of get in your own way. Rather than forcing it, we had a conversation about just enjoying this last chapter of my career and how lucky I truly am to still be playing this game and do it at a high level, and being a better mentor for the young guys, leading by example, having my energy right every game. He helped me realize I do have negative energy, how that affects a team in a poor manner.
“We had a great conversation. That just helped me change my whole mindset and forget about shooting splits or points per game or All-Star games and just to enjoy being in this Warriors uniform and appreciate what we’ve built, because it’s such a rare opportunity for any professional athlete to be a part of so much success.”
Thompson’s status has certainly raised questions this season. He is a free agent at the end of the year, and the two sides have not come close to agreeing on a new contract. Even before the season, Thompson was using social media to suggest that there were some behind-the-scenes issues that were not being ironed out.
Thompson only scored 15 points in the win over Orlando, but from Golden State’s perspective, the improved attitude may be more important. Whether it actually helps the team’s form remains to be seen.
