There was a time when Klay Thompson was regarded as one of the best shooters in the NBA and a key member of the Golden State Warriors.
However, after missing back-to-back seasons in 2020 and 2021 due to gruesome injuries, Thompson has seemingly lost his edge in the twilight years of his career.
Most fans notice that Thompson has started obsessing over his stats in recent years rather than ensuring that he is a good mentor to the team who helps young players develop.
Thompson recently revealed a valuable conversation he had with head coach Steve Kerr via Anthony Slater on Twitter following the Warriors’ recent win against the Orlando Magic.
“We had a conversation about just enjoying this last chapter of my career and how lucky I truly am to still be playing this game,” Thompson said.
Pretty revealing Klay Thompson postgame soundbite about a conversation he had with Steve Kerr yesterday regarding the need to improve his negative energy, be a better mentor and enjoy the last chapter of his career rather than obsess over stats/performance pic.twitter.com/a9wIxhnkGh
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) January 3, 2024
In the 2023-24 NBA season, Klay Thompson was expected to hit the ground running as it is a contract year for the veteran guard.
However, instead of giving his best on the floor, Thompson is currently averaging the third-worst points per game of his career.
To be precise, Thompson is putting up 16.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game for the Warriors this season.
Moreover, he is shooting a somewhat underwhelming 42.0% from the field and 37.7% from the three-point line.
Thompson is undoubtedly averaging lower numbers than his career across the stat sheet.
As Thompson mentioned, he has finally learned the lesson about not trying to reclaim his glory years, but instead focusing on enjoying the last chapter of his career.
While it’s good that Thompson has finally had this realization, is it too late?
After all, the Warriors are currently the 11th seed in the Western Conference with an underwhelming 16-17 record.
NEXT: Steph Curry Admits Warriors Are Enduring A Challenge This Season
