Warriors guard Klay Thompson is one of the most lethal shooters in NBA history. Klay has put up some insane scoring performances over the course of his career with the help of his shooting ability. Be it his 60-point performance in 29 minutes or his record 37 points in a single quarter, Klay is unstoppable when he gets going.
So, naturally, when Klay arrived on Podcast P with Paul George, PG asked him about a technique he had not seen any other shooter do. Klay revealed his 5 Word Mantra to be a great shooter.
Klay spills his shooting secrets
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Klay talked about the most underrated aspect of becoming a great shooter that he learned from shooting coach Dave Hopla, “I always gotta have my shoulders square.” Klay said that if his shoulders were square to the basket, it did not matter where his feet or hips were. The shot has a good chance of going in. Klay has one of the purest jump shots in the league, and many analysts think that his shooting form is even better than the Greatest shooter in history, Stephen Curry.
Paul George followed up with a question about Klay’s secret technique, “You’re the first person I seen do this. Catch, No dip.” Where most shooters need to dip the ball a little before shooting to generate power, Klay has the ability to catch the ball anywhere and shoot it without any dip. This technique gives Klay a quicker release and a head start on the defenders. Klay responded, “I don’t know how that started.” revealing the mantra for his technique, “Catch high keep it high. That’s all.”
Shooters are starting to follow what Klay pioneered
PG credited Klay for showing him that technique, as he has now started to incorporate it into his game as well. Memphis Grizzlies shooting guard, Desmond Bane also follows the no dip technique and has significantly improved his game in just three seasons. Klay added that this works better in the mid-range, where you need less strength to shoot the ball and can elevate higher, giving the example of Michael Jordan’s jumper.
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Klay hit 14 threes against the Bulls in 2018, setting a new record for most three-pointers in a single game. With Klay’s proven success in shooting the ball, young shooters will blindly follow the 4-time champion’s advice with the hopes of making it to the NBA.
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With the Greatest Shooter on his team, Klay sometimes does not get enough credit for his insane shooting ability. So, it was great to see Paul George giving props to Klay for starting something no shooter had ever done.
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