While Klay Thompson is leaving Golden State with a lifetime’s worth of memories to cherish, he might not want to look back on the way things ended there. Finishing the season with his lowest scoring average since his sophomore year and also going scoreless, 0-10 in an elimination game, the Warriors were reluctant to offer him the long-term contract he desired, eventually sparking rumors about a rift between both parties. Moreover, the media’s constant criticism of the sharpshooter did not help his case.

And witnessing Klay’s heartbreaking departure, veteran analyst Stephen A. Smith took accountability on behalf of the media for the injustice he has suffered over the years, citing an incident from five years ago that led to a massive pay cut for the four-time champ.

Klay Thompson’s hate for the media is justified

During the latest episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, the analyst sympathized with Klay saying, “If Klay Thompson hates the media for life, I wouldn’t blame him.” Then, Smith reminded his viewers of the time when Klay got snubbed from the All-NBA team despite his amazing performance in the 2018-19 season. “If you remember years ago, when he was not voted one on the All-NBA teams, if you remember that, right? The media cost Klay Thompson $30 million because Kemba Walker was put on the All-NBA team and Klay Thompson wasn’t. And Klay Thompson was furious about him. And he should’ve been.” Smith remarked.

Heading into free agency that summer, had Klay made any of the All-NBA teams that year, he would have been eligible for a five-year supermax contract extension. More importantly, he did have a season worth honoring, averaging 21.5 points while shooting over forty percent from deep range. However, the voting panel, largely filled with media personnel, had already picked Steph and Durant to receive the honor and left their teammate Klay out of the list. Instead, Kemba made the cut in the third-team after averaging 25.6 points with the Hornets without missing a single game that season.

While Kemba did have a better individual season than Klay, his team failed to make the playoffs while Klay’s Warriors were the top seed in the West with 57 wins. Regardless, Klay missed out on his supermax extension and was forced to settle on a five-year $190 million deal. And Stephen A. believes it is justified for Klay to be mad at the media for costing him a much bigger pay check.

Klay Thompson did not like the Kemba Walker selection

Following Klay’s snub from the All-NBA team in 2019, a video went viral on social media of him finding out he didn’t make the cut during a Warriors press conference.  “Oh, I didn’t?” a shocked Thompson confirmed with the reporter, who broke the news to him. Then, Klay’s shock turned into utter disbelief and frustration when he found out that Kemba Walker was selected over him. “Whatever, I’d rather win a championship than be third-team All-NBA,” Klay said in frustration.

Knowing that the outcome would affect his next contract, Klay was very disappointed with the media’s injustice toward him. But he reminded everyone that he was still one of the top guards in the league. “Do I think there are that many guards better than me? No.” At the time, before his ACL and Achilles injuries, Klay was in fact one of the best players in the league and arguably the second-best shooter behind Steph. And maybe the voters did him dirty by not selecting him among the Top 15 players in the league that year.

And with his latest contract value coming down to $50 million for three years, the thirty million he missed out on five years ago will definitely haunt him for quite some time. Maybe he will get some comfort from Stephen A. Smith taking the fall for it.

Before you go, do not forget to check out what Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the alleged Shaq and Kobe Lakers beef. Keep checking this space for more such updates.