Voiced With Heavy Emotion, Ex-Suns Superstar Applauds Klay Thompson for Vocalizing Rough Mental Health Battle

The Golden State Warriors are having a troublesome season and Klay Thompson is having the toughest time right now. The 4x champion’s shooting and below-par performances have been concerning for the team as netizens continue to criticize him every other day. However, at this tough time, former Phoenix Suns star Eddie Johnson decided to show some support.

Johnson shared in his interview with NBA’s radio, “Listening to Klay Thompson go through this…Man, I’ve been there. I’m telling you. You’ve played this game long enough and you start to realize that you can’t play at the level that you used to, it hits you. People don’t understand.” Johnson appreciated Thompson for at least realizing this situation. 

The shooting guard had opened up about his “last chapter” with the Warriors. He shared a mature conversation he had with head coach Steve Kerr and how that has helped him relax a bit. He reminisced about the good times with the team but also made it clear that he was not going to force that back. Instead, he will focus more on mentoring the youngsters in the team currently. 

Johnson could understand Klay’s emotions having gone through something similar during his playing days. A few months ago he revealed that he mentioned that he left the NBA in 1994 to focus on his mental health. But he eventually came back to play for a few more years with the Indiana Pacers and the Houston Rockets. That time wasn’t great for the 1989 Sixth Man of the Year either.

Eddie Johnson explains the similar phase he had with the Houston Rockets

Johnson was a star at Phoenix, averaging 2o points per game in his prime years. His final chapter was with the Rockets, where he could only average single digits in points. He shared, “I’ve to admit man, my last at Houston, I was not a good teammate. Like, I didn’t mess up the locker room or anything, but I wasn’t myself. And I think it affected the guys around me to the point where I stayed away from them. Like I didn’t even go to shoot around at the end of my career. I go to the games, I support them because I knew I was going through it.”

Read more: Former NBA Star Eddie Johnson on Kyrie Irving’s Nets Return: “I Just Don’t Think It’s Going To Work”

Though Thompson is in a similar phase, Johnson believes he can still play high-level basketball for the Warriors. Thompson can still shoot great shots and it is just a matter of time until he finds his rhythm back. Surprisingly, his name has popped up in the All-Star votes, which will be a very positive feeling for him. 

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Do you think Klay Thompson can be productive in his final chapter? Share your take in the comments below.