Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr made it clear after Tuesday’s Play-In Tournament loss to the Sacramento Kings how he feels about veteran Klay Thompson.
“We need Klay back,” Kerr said. “I know he had a tough night tonight, but what he represents for us, the spacing … Klay’s presence means so much to the spacing on the floor, to the flow of the offense.”
Thompson was held scoreless in the Warriors’ 118-94 loss, which eliminated the team from playoff contention. The 34-year-old Thompson, who has spent his entire career with the Warriors, will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. After the Play-In game, Stephen Curry said that he could “never see myself not with those two guys,” referring to Thompson and Draymond Green.
“He’s still got good years left,” Kerr added. “And I know I speak for everybody in the (organization) — we want him back.
“What Klay has meant to this franchise, as good as he still is, we desperately want him back.”
Draymond Green on his belief the organization will prioritize Klay Thompson: “They did right by me. They’ve done right by Steph. They’ve done right by all of us. Klay tore his ACL and they gave him $160 million dollars.” pic.twitter.com/Px3jR74cQz
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 17, 2024
Thompson struggled mightily against Sacramento, going 0 of 10 from the field in 32 minutes. For the regular season, he averaged 17.9 points per game and shot 38.7 percent from 3. He’s averaged a career 19.6 points per game.
“I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else. To play for one franchise, man? That’s so rare,” Thompson told The Athletic in October. “In any sport. Football. Baseball. Basketball. Australian Rules Football. To play for one club is insane. It’s some real legendary stuff. Even what Udonis Haslem did. He’s revered in Miami. Locally. That’s what I cherish.
“Going around the country, going around the world and people from Northern California or Warriors fans in general are just so prideful about the Warriors. And I was here before banners were hung up. So in a way, it’s our baby. You want to ride it out. I’ve just been so lucky to be a part of this franchise. It’d be so hard to envision myself in another uniform.”
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Christine Lake is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. With an extensive background in sports journalism, he covers everything from major league championships to grassroots sports events. When she’s not on the field or at the stadium, you’ll find Christine coaching youth sports teams.
