“Last Chapter of My Career”: Klay Thompson on Getting in His Own Way, Dealing with ‘Negative Energy’ after Steve Kerr Talk

Klay Thompson is one of the most pivotal pillars of the Golden State Warriors franchise. He’s one player who has successfully emerged victorious many times in his career so far. But this season hasn’t been that great for him. In the 2023-24 season, he has faced some serious issues with his caliber and potential.

Revealing his agony, he came forward with his secret conversations with his coach, Steve Kerr, about the need to improve upon this negativity surrounding him.

Steve Kerr’s game-changing advice

For a player of Klay Thompson’s caliber, he did not have a very good start to the season. In the 13 games initially played this season, he averaged about 14 points/game with just 33.0% accuracy. Many times, he could not even touch the 20-point mark. Speaking to the press after the Warriors’ win against the Magic, Thompson revealed his coach’s words, and how that helped him slowly regain his confidence.

Thompson claimed that Kerr tried to get his “energy right”. Thompson’s poor start to the season led to the 5 All-Star losing sight of what was important, which was mentoring the young guys on the team, one of his main roles as a veteran. Klay went on to talk about how he had been blessed to play in Championship teams, All-Star teams, and Gold Medal-winning teams, and he was forgetting that for the numbers side of the game.

Thompson, a 3-point contest winner, had a dismal start to the 2023-24 season, and that was visible because of the absence of his usual calm demeanor. He was rushing into shots, throwing up contested looks, and overall looking like a shadow of the man he used to be.

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Kerr’s advice not only helped him regain his love for the game but also helped him realize the situation he was in. “We had a conversation about just enjoying the last chapter of my career, and how lucky I truly am to still be playing this game”, said Klay. It seems like Kerr’s advice worked, as Thompson showed glimpses of getting back to his best today.

Klay Thompson shows glimpses of his best

It should come as no surprise that Steph Curry led the Warriors past the Magic. But Klay Thompson’s performance went under the radar. Putting up a modest 15 points on 3/8 3-point shooting, Klay Thompson’s mere presence still strikes fear in opposition defenses. He ended the game with 6/11 field goals made, which is a 54.5% FG percentage. He’s getting there, and patience will be his best friend in that regard.

While it looks unlikely that Thompson will make the All-Star game in February based on his performances so far, he might welcome the weekend-long rest. As he said in the interview, “forget about shooting splits, points per games, all-star games, just to enjoy being in this Warriors uniform”. 

For a 4x Champ like Klay, and an almost guaranteed First Ballot Hall of Famer, missing an All-Star game might bother him, sure. But he’d be the first to tell you that if his missing an All-Star game is what makes the Warriors better prepared for the closing stages of the season, then so be it.

What do you think of Kerr’s advice, and how Thompson has implemented it? Let us know in the comments.

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