Not many players could battle with Steph Curry for the distinction of the greatest shooter of all time, but Klay Thompson isn’t like most players. Thompson is an efficient scorer from all three levels, a suffocating perimeter defender, and an example of resiliency and hard work, one of his generation’s best players.
He was so important for the Golden State Warriors that they failed to make the playoffs in the two seasons he missed, and made the NBA Finals and won the NBA championship again as soon as he came back. So, even if he doesn’t get enough credit, Klay Thompson has played a vital part in the success of Steve Kerr’s dynasty.
That’s why today, we’re going to let you know everything there is about one of the Splash Brothers, one of the best shooters to ever live, and an unmatched character. Buckle up as we walk you through Klay Thompson’s life and NBA journey.
Klay Thompson – Early Life
Klay Alexander Thompson was born in Los Angeles on February 8, 1990, to volleyball player Julie and former NBA center Mychal Thompson. However, he spent most of his childhood in Lake Oswego, Oregon, where he’d walk his first steps in the sports business.
Thompson was an outstanding quarterback and also excelled at Little League baseball, teaming up with future NBA colleague, Kevin Love. Then, at age 14, his family moved to Ladera Ranch, California, with Thompson attending Santa Margarita Catholic High School. While he didn’t play for a renowned basketball program, he was still a four-star recruit by most analysts, ranking as the 51st best player in the nation.
Klay Thompson – College Basketball
Despite offers from Vanderbilt, Colorado, Nevada, and Michigan, Thompson committed to play for coach Tony Bennett at Washington State University. He started all 33 games in his first season with the Cougars, showcasing unmatched shooting efficiency and leading his team in free-throw percentage and three-point shooting percentage. Despite averaging roughly 12.5 points per game, he made the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team.
He hit the ground running in his sophomore season of college basketball. Thompson improved on nearly every aspect of his game, leading his team to the Great Alaska Shootout Championship, earning Most Outstanding Player honors with a 43-point explosion. Thompson scored 19.6 points per game and was named to the All-Pac-10 First Team.
Despite being perhaps the most efficient shooter in his class, Thompson decided to come back for a third season with the Cougars. He led his conference in scoring and became the first player in program history to be named Pac-10 Player of the Week three times in one year. He set a mark in the Pac-10 tournament by knocking down 43 points and eight triples, setting a school record for most points scored in a single season (733), and becoming the third-leading scorer in WSU history, making the Pac-10 First Team one more time.
Despite all the honors, Thompson’s junior season with the Cougars was stained with controversy, as he was suspended for his final regular season game after getting a misdemeanor criminal citation for marijuana possession. Still, Washington State University didn’t hesitate to retire his No. 1 jersey in 2020. He was the seventh player in WSU history to get that honor.
Klay Thompson – Entering The NBA
With Stephen Curry already on the team, the Golden State Warriors needed a backup shooting guard for Monta Ellis. They took Klay Thompson with the 11th overall pick, a move that eventually led to the Warriors trading Ellis to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Mark Jackson mentored Thompson and brought the most of his defensive skills. He knew he was already an elite shooter, so wanted him to be a strong defender on the perimeter to make up for Curry’s defensive flaws.
Thompson began the season slowly and wasn’t even selected for the Rising Stars Challenge. However, he turned the corner following the All-Star break, nearly doubling his stats from the first half of the season and letting the Warriors know that they had found their shooting guard for the future. Now, with Ellis out of the picture, Thompson recorded nearly 30 minutes per game and gave us a glimpse of what was to come.
Klay Thompson led his team with 82 appearances in just his second season in the league. Next to Stephen Curry, the Warriors have put together arguably the best shooting duo in the Association, putting an end to their drought and reaching the playoffs. There, they beat the Denver Nuggets in the first round to meet the San Antonio Spurs. Thompson scored 34 points on 8/9 shooting from three-point range, but he couldn’t prevent his team from losing in six games.
The Warriors slowly surged to become one of the most entertaining teams to watch in the Western Conference. Thompson and Curry broke the NBA record for 484 combined triples in the season, topping their then-NBA record by just one. Thompson averaged a then-career-high 18.4 points, helping the Warriors reach the postseason. There, however, they fell to the ‘Lob City’ Los Angeles Clippers in a seven-game first-round series.
Klay Thompson – First NBA Championship
The 2014 season would mark Klay’s career forever. For starters, Thompson signed a four-year contract extension to continue in the Ba for years to come. Inspired by the deal, he torched the Los Angeles Lakers with a then-career-high 41 points. Then, he topped his own mark with a 52-point, 11-triple explosion vs. the Sacramento Kings. He set an NBA record with 37 points in a quarter, going 13-for-13 from the floor and 9-for-9 from beyond the ac, also a record.
Unsurprisingly, those performances led Thompson to the All-Star Game for the first time in his career. Once again, he and Curry would go on to break their own mark for most combined triples in a season (525), with Klay knocking down 239 three-pointers. With Steve Ker taking over Mark Jackson, the Dubs had the most explosive offense in the league, and it wasn’t even close.
They won 67 games in the regular season and finished with the best record in the league. Then, they swept the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round, beat the Memphis Grizzlies in six games in the second round, and got past the Houston Rockets in five games in the Western Conference Finals. The Warriors were back to the NBA Finals for the first time in four decades.
The Warriors hosted LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on the ultimate stage, with Klay Thompson scoring a playoff career-high 34 points in Game 2. The Dubs took down the Cavs in six games to win the fourth championship in their history. Thompson averaged 15.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game on 40% from the floor en route to his first ring.
Klay Thompson – A Record Season And A Heartbreaking Loss
Fresh off winning the NBA title, the Warriors were once again the team to beat in the National Basketball Association next season. Their elite guards and Draymond Green’s playmaking skills picked apart opposing defenses nearly at will, and their offensive explosions were only topped by their defensive skills.
However, Thompson got off to a slow start to the season, shooting 36% from the floor, which was quite unlikely for one of the most efficient players at the shooting guard position. The Washington State University product needed a couple of months to get his groove back, but his defense still helped the Warriors break the previous record for the best start in NBA history, winning their first 24 games of the season.
Thompson continued to get hot as the year went by and got another All-Star nod. He also elected to compete in the Three-Point Contest, where he beat Stephen Curry and Devin Booker. Then, fresh off the All-Star break, he torched the Dallas Mavericks for 40 points, going for 40 again two days later vs. the Philadelphia 76ers to record the first back-to-back 40+ point games of his career.
The Warriors broke the record for more wins in a regular season (73), losing just nine games and dropping just two home games the whole season. That topped the Chicago Bulls and Steve Kerr’s own record for the best regular-season team of all time, and they looked poised to win back-to-back NBA championships after such a dominating effort.
The first-seeded Warriors handled the Houston Rockets in five games. Notably, Thompson became the first player to knock down seven+ three-pointers in consecutive playoff games, leading the Warriors with Curry out due to an injury. Then, the Dubs beat the Portland Trail Blazers in the second round and overcame a 3-1 deficit to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in the WCF. Thompson was key in that series, forcing Game 7 with a 41-point, 11-triple effort.
The Warriors were just the 10th team to come back from a 3-1 series and rematched with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals again. They jumped to a 3-1 lead and were on the verge of winning back-to-back rings before LeBron’s Cavs orchestrated the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history. Steph Curry’s struggles late in the series and Draymond Green’s suspension opened up the door for their historic run. The Cavs became the first team to climb back from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals, beating the best regular season team of all time on the road in seven games.
Klay Thompson – Back-To-Back Rings
The Golden State Warriors entered the next season thirsty for revenge. They signed Kevin Durant in one of the most controversial moves in NBA history, as the former MVP looked to win an NBA championship for the first time in his career. Needless to say, the Dubs became the most hated team in the league by a long stretch.
Thompson knew that he and Curry would have to give up shots to make room for Durant, and he struggled with inefficiency early in the season. Some claimed that the Warriors could look to trade him as he wasn’t going to be able to coexist with another dominant shooter. Once again, Thompson got hot late in the year and scored 60 points vs. the Indiana Pacers in December. Notably, he was the first player to do that in less than 30 minutes, and that was the highest-scoring effort from a Warriors since Rick Barry’s 64 points in 1974.
Again, Thompson earned All-Star Team honors as a reserve, but he failed to defend his title as the reigning three-point contest champion. The Warriors won 67 games and had the best record in the league again, with Klay finishing the season as efficiently as always, but went ice cold as soon as the playoffs started. Still, he was a key contributor on the defensive end of the floor as the Warriors swept the Blazers, Jazz, and Spurs en route to another NBA Finals berth. They were the first in NBA history to go undefeated in the first three playoff series.
LeBron and the Cavaliers awaited the Warriors in the Finals again, but the Dubs had little trouble dealing with them in five games. Thompson averaged 16.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on 42% from beyond the three-point land, but Kevin Durant took Finals MVP honors at that time. The Dubs lost just one game in the playoffs, boasting the best winning percentage in NBA postseason history at 16-1.
Golden State entered the season as the team to beat again. They had arguably the best basketball player in the world in Durant, with Curry also being considered a top-5 player at the time. Thompson hit the ground running and became the 11th Golden State player to score 9,000+ career points. Later in the season, he entered the top 10 in career points in franchise history, but his hot stretch was cut short by a thumb injury. Thompson came back from an eight-game absence and picked up things where he left them, making even more history and cracking the top-25 in career three-pointers in the history of the NBA.
The Warriors kept the foot on the gas and finished the season with a 58-24 record, often resting their starters late in games and focusing entirely on the postseason. Thompson helped the Dubs get past the Spurs and Pelicans in the first two rounds, and joined Rick Barry and Stephen Curry as the only three Warriors players with 600+ playoff field goals. He later passed Barry to become the second-leading playoff scorer in franchise history, lifting the Warriors past the Rockets with another majestic performance in Game 6. The Warriors avoided elimination and made it back to the NBA Finals.
There, Thompson would make even more history by playing in a franchise-record 100th playoff game and becoming the sixth player to knock down 300+ three-pointers in the playoffs. The Cavs had little trouble overmatching LeBron’s Cavaliers and swept them to win back-to-back titles and their third ring in the past four seasons. They were officially a dynasty. Klay averaged 16 points on 48% shooting in the Finals, but Durant took Finals MVP honors again.
Klay Thompson – Major Injuries And Questions
The Warriors wanted to become the first team to win a three-peat since Phil Jackson’s Lakers from 2000-02. They were once again the oddsmakers’ favorites to win the ring, with Thompson, Curry, and Durant entering their third season as the most explosive offensive trio in the Association.
As per usual, Klay was ice cold entering the season and even had a seven-game stretch in which he failed to knock down more than one triple, once again prompting trade rumors. He heard all the noise and proved to be the same elite basketball player he had always been by knocking down a record 14 triples vs. the Chicago Bulls, scoring 52 points on 24 shots in just 27 minutes.
That’s what Klay needed to get out of his slump and put trade rumors to an end. He and Curry became the only two players to have at least seven straight seasons knocking down 200+ triples, but his defensive prowess was what stood out the most that year. He finally got the nod for an NBA All-Defensive Team and established himself as one of the deadliest perimeter defenders on the planet.
The Warriors won 57 games and beat the Clippers, Rockets, and Blazers in the playoffs to square off vs. Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals. Here’s where it would all go south for Thompson and the Dubs. He strained his hamstring in Game 2 and was forced to miss a playoff game for the first time in his career. Then, in Game 6, he tore his ACL and left the game in the third quarter after knocking down a couple of free throws. He became third with more playoff three-pointers behind Ray Allen and Steph Curry, but the Dubs lost the Finals.
Durant left the Warriors in the offseason after three seasons, but Thompson still decided to sign a five-year contract extension with the Bay area team. He underwent surgery on his left knee and was destined to miss the entire season. The Warriors reshaped their roster and struggled with injuries all year, finishing the season with a 15-50 record after five straight trips to the Finals.
Thompson went back to practice in September 2020 and his return was hyped and expected. Unfortunately, he suffered an Achilles injury in November in a pickup game, ruling him out for another full season. He had suffered the two most feared injuries by any basketball player and plenty questioned his ability to go back to his usual self. Also, he admitted that he struggled mentally due to his desire to play and help his team. The Warriors finished 39-33 but didn’t make the playoffs after losing in the play-in tournament.
Klay Thompson – Fourth Championship
The 2021-22 season was marked for Thompson’s long-awaited return. With a surging Jordan Poole and Draymond Green, and Steph Curry going back to full strength, the Warriors were poised to prove that the dynasty was far from done. Thompson was assigned to their G-League affiliate team in November and was finally back on the floor by January 9.
Thompson didn’t show any sign of rust in his return, scoring 17 points in 20 minutes. He had a 33-point performance a month later and then had a 38-point outing in march. The Warriors took it slowly with him and let him get his legs back under him. He got hot when it mattered the most, scoring 41 points in the season finale. The Warriors won 53 games and finished with the third-best record in the West.
Steve Kerr’s team beat the Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies, and Dallas Mavericks and made it back to the NBA Finals, this time against the Boston Celtics. That way, Thompson would make his sixth straight trip to the Finals. He averaged 17 points, three rebounds, and two assists to help the Warriors win their fourth ring in eight years. He also passed LeBron James for the second-most triples in the Finals and joined LeBron and Curry as the only players with 100+ career three-pointers in the Finals. The dynasty was back, and Thompson had officially bounced back from two potentially career-ending injuries.
Klay Thompson – NBA Future
Thompson has repeatedly stated his desire to play with the Golden State Warriors until retirement. He still has two years left in his contract and will turn 34 by the time that deal runs out, so he might as well retire after the 2023-24 NBA season.
However, that seems unlikely, considering how much he missed the game when he was out with an injury. Also, he had been one of the most durable NBA players before that two-year hiatus, playing at least 73 games every season except for his rookie year, when the season was cut short at 66 games.
Thompson’s shooting form will never go away. He could still be a solid contributor, even if he’s coming off the bench when he’s deep into his 30s. Of course, that will also depend on whether Steph Curry and/or Draymond Green are still playing and where the franchise stands at that point in the future.
He’s too much of a competitor to be out there when he knows he’s hurting the team, so that could also lead to early retirement. But at least for the time being, it seems like he’s not going anywhere, and we wouldn’t be surprised if the Warriors locked him up with an extension in the near future. Whatever the case, his no. 11 jersey will hang high in the rafters when it’s all said and done, and he’ll have a statue next to Green and Curry right outside of Chase Center one day.
Klay Thompson – Awards And Accolades
Thompson hasn’t been in the spotlight as often as other stars of his time. However, he’s still put together a Hall of Famer kind of résumé.
In the NBA:
- 4x NBA Champion
- 5x NBA All-Star Selections
- 2x All-NBA Third Team
- 1x NBA Three-Point Contest Champion
- 1x NBA All-Defensive Second Team
- 1x NBA All-Rookie First Team
From College Basketball:
- 2× First-team All-Pac-10 (2010, 2011)
- No. 1 retired by Washington State Cougars
In High School:
- Orange County Third Team
- Division III State Player Of The Year
- Division III StateLeague MVP
- First-Team Best In The West
- EA Sports Second Team All American
- State Finals Record: Most three-pointers (7)
With The USA National Team:
- Olympic Gold Medal
- FIBA World Cup Winner
- U-19 World Cup Winner
NBA Records:
- Most points scored (37) in a quarter (regular season)
- Most three-pointers made in a regular-season game (14)
- Most triples made in a single playoffs (98) [tied with Steph Curry)
Ranks With Warriors:
- Games played: 9th
- Minutes played: 7th
- Field goals: 9th
- Field goal attempts: 8th
- Three-pointers: 2nd
- Three-point attempts: 2nd
- Three-point percentage: 5th
Team USA
Klay Thompson has played for the United States’ national team multiple times. He won the U-19 FIBA World Cup, the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, and the Olympic gold medal in the 2016 Olympics.
How Rich Is Klay Thompson?
Through 11 NBA seasons, Klay Thompson has grossed $182,344,704 in playing salary alone. He’s currently in the fourth year of his five-year extension and will make $40,600,080 in the 2022-23 season, and $43,219,440 in the 2023-24 season before becoming an unrestricted free agent at 34 years old. He also has a 15% trade kicker in his deal.
He has endorsement deals with NERF, Bevel, Waiakea Water, and a ten-year, $80+ million contract with Chinese shoe brand Anta. He also co-founded Just Live CBD, and was the 22nd highest-earning athlete in 2022, according to Forbes. Even so, Celebrity Gorilla reports that Thompson’s estimated net worth is around $70 million.
How Many 3s Does Klay Thompson Have?
Thus far, Thompson has knocked down 1,912 three-pointers on 4,587 attempts for a three-point field goal percentage of 41.7%. His carer high is 14 three-pointers made and 24 attempted. Also, he’s knocked down 451 out of 1,101 attempts in the playoffs.
Who Are Klay Thompson’s Parents?
As we mentioned before, Klay comes from a lineage of athletes. His mother, Julie, was a volleyball player at both the University of Portland and University of San Francisco. His father, Mychal Thompson, was the first-overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers and played professional basketball for 14 years, 13 of them in the NBA. Playing at center, Mychal Thompson became a two-time NBA champion with the Showtime Los Angeles Lakers and averaged 13.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
How tall is Klay Thompson?
The shooting guard is 6’6″ (198cm). There are plenty of taller players in the league, but Thompson is definitely one of the best known.
Does Klay Thompson Have Siblings?
Yes, he has two brothers, both athletes. His older brother Mychel Thompson played college hoops as a shooting guard at Pepperdine and spent most of his professional career in the D-League, winning one D-League championship and retiring in 2017. He spent five games with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2011 and averaged 3.9 points.
His younger brother, Trayce Thompson, played college baseball at UCLA as an outfielder and was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the second round of the 2009 MLB Draft. Even though he’s spent most of his career in the Minors, he’s had stints with the White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, and San Diego Padres.
