Klay Thompson

At 34 years old, Klay Thompson has this physical status:

Klay Alexander Thompson (born February 8, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

He is credited as one of the greatest shooters in NBA history.

A three-time NBA champion with the Warriors, he is a five-time NBA All-Star and a two-time All-NBA Third Team honoree.

He has also been named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. Thompson is the son of former NBA player Mychal Thompson.

He played college basketball for three seasons with the Washington State Cougars, where he was a two-time first-team all-conference selection in the Pac-10.

He was selected in the first round of the 2011 NBA draft by Golden State with the 11th overall pick.

In 2014, Thompson and teammate Stephen Curry set a then-NBA record with 484 combined three-pointers in a season, earning the pair the nickname the "Splash Brothers".

In 2015, Thompson helped lead the Warriors to their first NBA Championship since 1975, and was a key contributor in the Warriors' 2017 and 2018 titles.

Early life

Thompson was born in Los Angeles to Julie and Mychal Thompson. His mother was a volleyball player in college for the University of Portland and University of San Francisco, while his father was the first overall pick of the 1978 NBA draft. When Thompson was two, he and his family moved to Lake Oswego, Oregon, where he was childhood friends and Little League teammates with fellow future NBA star Kevin Love. Thompson and his brothers were raised there as Catholics.

When Thompson was 14, his family moved to Ladera Ranch, California, where he graduated from Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita in 2008. In his junior season, he was named to the All-Area second team and to the Orange County third team. As a senior, Thompson averaged 21 points per game and led SMCHS to a 30–5 record and a Division III State Championship appearance. During the state championship, Thompson set a state finals record with seven 3-pointers in a game. He was named Division III State player of the year, League MVP, first-team Best in the West, and an EA Sports Second Team All American.

Personal life

Thompson's older brother, Mychel, played basketball for Pepperdine University and had a brief stint in the NBA with the Cavaliers, while his younger brother, Trayce, became a Major League Baseball player. Thompson faced controversy when he was suspended for his final regular season game at WSU after being issued a misdemeanor criminal citation for marijuana possession. After winning the NBA championship in 2015, Thompson and his father became the fourth father-son duo to win an NBA title, joining Matt Guokas Sr. and Jr., Rick and Brent Barry, and Bill and Luke Walton. (They were joined in 2022 by the newest father and son to win the title, Gary Payton and Gary Payton II, the latter of whom was Klay's teammate.)

Thompson is known for his offbeat, dry sense of humor.

He owns an English bulldog named Rocco.

In late October 2017, Thompson participated in local efforts to raise money for relief for the October 2017 Northern California wildfires, donating $1,000 for every point he scored in home games against the Washington Wizards, Toronto Raptors, and Detroit Pistons. With additional sponsor and fan matching Thompson was able to increase that to $5,223 per point, ultimately raising $360,374 by tallying 69 points across the three games.

Thompson is an avid chess player and has met with the chess world champion, Magnus Carlsen.

Thompson was in a relationship with American actress Laura Harrier from 2018 to early 2020.

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College career

Thompson played in all 33 games for Washington State University as a rookie, leading his team in 3-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage and overall point average, while still averaged 12.5 points per game. He was selected to the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team and Collegehoops.net All-Freshman Honorable Mention Team.

Thompson made his sophomore season with the Cougars winning the Great Alaska Shootout Championship, earning the honor's Most Outstanding Player after scoring a single game record of 43 points in the tournament's championship. This was also the third highest single game point total in WSU history. Thompson was named to the All-Pac-10 First Team after being the third fastest Cougar to reach 1,000 points. During the year, he was named as a midseason candidate for the John R. Wooden Award twice, earning Pac-10 Player of the Week honors twice. Thompson finished the season on a 19.6 points, good for second in the conference.

Thompson led the Pac-10 in scoring as a sophomore while still receiving All-Pac-10 first team honors. He was only the third Cougar to earn first-team all-district awards from the National Association of Basketball Coaches twice in his career. In addition, he was the first Cougar to be named Pac-10 Player of the Week three times in a week from Nov. 22-28, extending the record to four after the week of December 6-12. Thompson was named one of the top 30 midseason candidates for the John R. Wooden Award shortly after. With 43 points and 8 three-pointers, he set new tournament records in the 2011 Pac-10 tournament. Thompson set a single season scoring record with 733 points in the WSU's single season. He is the third leading scorer at WSU.

The No. 1 in Washington State retired the No. 185 in 2020 on January 18, 2020. Thompson wore 1 of the following items in college: Thompson wore one. He was the second WSU men's basketball player to receive this award, joining Steve Puidokas, and the seventh WSU athlete in any sport in which the number has been reduced.

Professional career

After his sophomore season, Thompson declared for the 2011 NBA draft, having been selected 11th overall by the Golden State Warriors. This pick of a guard sparked rumors that Monta Ellis would be traded by the Warriors, but this didn't happen until March 2012. Thompson's general manager Larry Riley praised Thompson for his shooting skills and expressed hope that Thompson's new coach Mark Jackson would develop his defensive skills.

Thompson was not chosen by the NBA for the 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend Rising Stars Challenge. Thompson did well in the four games after that decision: points per game (12.5 over 4.7%), steals (1.5 from 1.3), and turnovers (4.2 from 2.1). Ellis was traded by the Warriors to the Milwaukee Bucks on March 13, 2012. In a loss to the Boston Celtics, Thompson scored a season-high 26 points. In a victory over the New Orleans Hornets a week later, he tied his previous record of 27 points. Thompson averaged 17 minutes per game as of mid-February 2012, but he averaged 30 minutes per game during the next month. Thompson was selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team at the end of the season.

Thompson scored a season-high 32 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 29, 2013. Thompson and Stephen Curry, Warriors coach Mark Jackson, made the best shooting team in NBA history, according to Warriors coach Mark Jackson. The two teams made 483 three-pointers in the season, the most by an NBA team at the time. In the first round of the playoffs, the Warriors defeated the Denver Nuggets and were next up against the San Antonio Spurs. Thompson made a playoff appearance against San Antonio on May 8, 2013, scoring 8 out of nine three-point attempts and a career-best 14 rebounds. Thompson and the Warriors went on to lose in six games to the Spurs.

Thompson had a season-high 38 points, with 5-of-7 three-pointers in the Warriors' first game. On the season, Curry and Curry set a new NBA record of 484 combined threes, beating one another set the previous year. On the year, Thompson averaged 18.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. Thompson and the Warriors were the sixth seed in the Western Conference in the first round when they met the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round; they lost the series in seven games.

Thompson agreed to a four-year contract extension with the Warriors on October 31, 2014. In the Warriors' 127-104 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, he scored a then-high 41 points in a then-high 41 points. In a 126-101 victory over the Sacramento Kings on January 23, 2015, Thompson scored a career-high 52 points with 11 three-pointers. He scored an NBA-record 37 points for a single quarter in the third quarter of the game, including nine three-pointers, which was also a league record for a single quarter. David Thompson's (no relation) record stood for a quarter on a quarter. Thompson was named a reserve for the 2015 Western Conference All-Star team for the first time in his career on January 29, 2015.

Thompson was the first head coach on the NBA's all-time list on March 8, 2015, when he hit three three-pointers against the Los Angeles Clippers on March 8, 2015. With a swollen ankle, he was banned from 7-10 days for 7–10. Curry set a new personal record for three-pointers (286), and Thompson finished second in the league (239), out of second place (239), as the two teams combined to make 525 threes, beating their previous record by 41. Thompson earned a career-high 34 points in a losing bid to the Cleveland Cavaliers on June 7, in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. The Warriors then defeated the Cavaliers in six games to win the NBA championship and snap the franchise's 40-year championship drought.

Thompson shot just 13-of-36 from 3-point range in the first seven games of the 2015–16 season, only 13-of-36 percent. Thompson shot a total of 32-of-73 percent in the last 11 games of November. When the Warriors lost to the Milwaukee Bucks on December 12, they came to a 24-win streak. In the Warriors' third quarter of their 128-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns, Thompson scored 27 of his then season-high 43 points. In a 128–108 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on January 8, he scored his third straight game with 30 or more points. In a 127-107 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, he scored a season-high 45 points on 14-of-20 shooting on January 27, a season-high figure. He was named a Western Conference All-Star reserve for the 2016 NBA All-Star Game for the second straight All-Star nomination the night before. He competed in the All-Star Weekend's Three-Point Contest on February 13 and won the tournament after defeating Curry and Devin Booker in the final round. He scored 40 points against the Dallas Mavericks on March 25, which was his 40th appearance against them. For the first time in his career, he had another 40-point game against the Philadelphia 76ers, scoring 40 points in consecutive games. Thompson scored 14 points against the San Antonio Spurs on April 7, making the Warriors the second team in NBA history to win 70 games in a season.

As the No. 1 in the United States, it was no. 1. In the first round of the playoffs, the Warriors defeated the eighth-seeded Houston Rockets in the first round. Thompson made history by becoming the first NBA player to make at least seven three-pointers in consecutive playoff games, helping the Warriors advance to the second round after Curry was out injured. The Warriors advanced to the Western Conference Finals, defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 4–1 in the second round. Thompson helped the Warriors recover in Games 5 and 6, which then extended the series to a draw at 3 – 3. As the Warriors fought Game 7 with a 108–101 victory, Thompson made 11 three-pointers and scored 41 points. With a victory in Game 7, the Warriors became the 10th team to rebound from a 3-1 deficit and win a postseason series. Despite being up 3-1 in the series, the Warriors went on to lose in seven games to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals.

Thompson led the first six games of the 2016-17 season by shooting 11-of-53 from 3-point range (20.75 percent). Thompson then went 39-of-84 from 3-point range (46.4 percent) in the last 11 games of November. In a 142-106 victory over the Indiana Pacers on December 5, 2016, he scored 60 points (shooting 21-of-33 and 8-of-14 on three-pointers) in 29 minutes over three quarters, becoming the first NBA player to score 60 points in less than 30 minutes. Thompson had a career-best and highest scoring output by a Golden State player in more than 42 years in NBA season. His 40 points in the first half ties him for the second-most points in a half in less than a decade. Thompson also became the first Warrior to score 60 points since Hall of Famer Rick Barry's death on March 26, 1974, naming Wilt Chamberlain and Joe Fulks as the only Warriors to do so. He was named a Western Conference All-Star reserve for the 2017 NBA All-Star Game on January 26, a spokesman for the Western Conference. He participated in the Three-Point Contest but lost his status in the first round. In a 121–107 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 4, 2017, he scored 41 points (his 10th career 40-point game) for his 10th career 40-point game). With a 67–15 record, the Warriors reached the West's first seed in the West this season.

Thompson suffered with his shooting for lengthy stretches during the playoffs, but his defense against opposing guards like Damian Lillard, Patty Mills, and Kyrie Irving stood out. The Warriors defeated the San Antonio Spurs 129–115 in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, beating them for their third straight NBA Finals series, becoming the first team in league history to start the playoffs 12–0. With a 4–1 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017 NBA Finals, Thompson helped the Warriors win their second championship in three years. The Warriors posted their highest postseason winning percentage in NBA history, finishing the playoffs with a 16-1 record.

Thompson added 29 points to a 115-107 loss to the Detroit Pistons on October 29, making him the 11th player in franchise history to reach 9,000 points. In a 97–84 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, he scored 27 of his 29 points in the first half and made his first nine field goals. Thompson won by 126-101 over the Utah Jazz on December 27, 2017, putting him in a tie for third with Dana Barros at 89 games in a row. In a 119–112 victory over the Chicago Bulls on January 17, 2018, he scored 38 points. Thompson won by 134-127 over the Los Angeles Clippers on February 22, 2018, marking his 10th appearance on the franchise's career scoring list, and also the 10th Warrior to reach 10,000 regular season career points. Thompson won by 112–80 over the Thunder two days later, earning him ninth place on the franchise's career scoring list. In a 112–96 victory over the Sacramento Kings, Thompson scored 25 points on 10-for-19 shooting after an eight-game absence with a broken right thumb. Thompson was 4 of 9 on 3-pointers on April 5, 2018, defeating the Indiana Pacers by 126–106, defeating the Indiana Pacers for 25th on the league's career list. In the first quarter of the Warriors' 117–100 victory over the Phoenix Suns, he scored 22 of his 34 points, three days later. Thompson scored 24 points in the Warriors' 96-91 victory over Game 5 in the first round of the playoffs in five games. As a result, Thompson joined Rick Barry (699) and Curry (652) as Warriors players with 600 post-season field goals. Thompson advanced to second place on the Warriors' career postseason scoring chart in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the Houston Rockets. Thompson was knocked down nine 3-pointers on his way to 35 points in Game 6 as the Warriors fought back from an early 17-point deficit to stave off elimination with a 115-86 victory over the Rockets. Thompson played in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, his 100th appearance in the game. Curry was also the sixth player to make 3003-3s in the postseason, joining Curry as the Warriors' sixth player to do so. With a 122-103 victory over the Cavaliers, he had 20 points in the game to help the Warriors take the lead by 2–0. The Warriors went on to sweep the series of titles to win back-to-back titles.

Thompson shot 5 for 36 from behind the arc and failed to have a 20-point game in the first seven games of 2018–19. In any of the games, he did not make multiple three-pointers, triggering a career-worst seven-game drought for him. He made a career-best 14 threes against the Chicago Bulls on October 29, 2018 to smash Curry's previous record of 13. Thompson made 14-for-24 of his threes and shooting 18-for-29 overall from the field, scoring 52 points in 27 minutes. Chandler Parsons' league record set in 2014 was defeated by his ten three-pointers in the first half, and Golden State defeated Golden State by 173 points in the first half, setting the NBA record for a half. In a 117-116 victory over the Sacramento Kings on November 24, he scored 31 points with five 3-pointers. When Thompson reached his 1,609th rank in the first quarter, he moved to 21st place on the NBA's career 3-pointers list, surpassing Jason Richardson. In a 115-105 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on December 29, he had his second-high scoring game of the season. He came out of a slump by hitting 12 of 21 from the field and 4 of 5 from 3-point range. In a 122–95 victory over the New York Knicks, he scored 43 points with seven 3-pointers on January 8. In a 130-111 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on January 21, he tied for the first 10 attempts from 3-point range on his way to scoring 44 points in his first 10 attempts from 3-point range on his way to scoring 44 points. He finished 10 of 11 from the arc and 17 of 20 from the floor overall. In a 122-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets on March 8, he scored 39 points and made nine 3-pointers. In a 106-104 win over the Houston Rockets on March 13, he scored 30 points. Curry is the youngest NBA player to reach seven seasons with 200 3-pointers in five consecutive seasons. He made five 3-pointers for his 203 for the season. Thompson was named to the NBA All-Defensive Team for the first time and was praised for his defense throughout his career, earning second team distinctions. Thompson missed his first career playoff game against the Toronto Raptors on Game 3 of the 2019 NBA Finals after straining his left hamstring late in Game 2. In a 105-92 loss, he returned to Game 4 and scored 28 points with six 3-pointers, but the Warriors lost 105–92, going down 3-1 in the series. He helped the Warriors beat the Warriors 106-105 win, effectively ending the Raptors' series lead to 3–2. Thompson, on Game 6, sustained a torn ACL in his left knee and departed with 30 points midway through the third quarter as the Warriors went on to lose the game and the series with a 114–110 victory. In third place for career 3-pointers (374), he came in third, behind only Curry (470) and Ray Allen (385).

Thompson decided to continue with the Warriors on a five-year, $190 million maximum contract with an additional fifteen percent trade kicker as a result of not having an All-NBA team, which may have made him eligible for a supermax contract like Curry was in 2017. Thompson recovered from knee surgery on July 2nd ACL, and he missed the entire 2019-20 season as a result. Thompson re-signed with the Warriors on July 10. In September 2020, he returned to practice with the Warriors. Thompson would miss the entire 2020–21 season due to an Achilles tendon injury, which he suffered in a pickup game in Los Angeles on November 19.

Thompson, along with James Wiseman for rehabilitation purposes, was drafted to the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State's NBA G League affiliate, on November 28, 2021. On December 1, he was released again. On December 11, Thompson and Wiseman were not recalled to Santa Cruz.

Thompson announced on January 8, 2022, he would return to the court against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 9, 2022. As the Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 96-82, Thompson scored 17 points on 7-from-18 shooting in 20 minutes in his return. Thompson led the Los Angeles Lakers to 117-115 victory in the fourth quarter on Tuesday, scoring 16 of his then-high 33 points. Thompson scored a then-high 38 points, as well as six rebounds and five assists in a 122-109 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, the reigning champions. In a 128–107 win over the New Orleans Pelicans to clinch the third seed in the Western Conference on April 10, Thompson scored a season-high 41 points for the Warriors in their last game of the regular season.

Thompson scored 26 points in a 118-113 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 3 of the 2022 playoffs. On the NBA playoffs all-time three-pointers list, he defeated Hall of Fame guard Ray Allen for third place. Thompson had 30 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks while going 8 for 14 from behind the 3-point arc in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals, defeating the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies by a score of 96 points. Thompson scored 32 points and eight three-pointers in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals on May 26, beating the Dallas Mavericks by 12 points and eight three-pointers. Thompson finished second on the NBA playoffs all-time three-pointers list in Game 1 of the Finals. Thompson and teammate Stephen Curry and LeBron James became the only players in NBA history to make at least 100 3-pointers on the championship stage in Game 5 of the Finals. He also finished second on the NBA Finals all-time three-pointers list, beating LeBron James for second. Thompson's fourth NBA Championship was a hit in six games.

National team career

Thompson was a member of the United States national team, winning gold medals on their 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and 2016 Olympic teams. At the 2009 FIBA Under-19 World Championship, he earned gold on the Under-19 national team.

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Accomplishments and awards

• 4× NBA champion: 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022
• 5× NBA All-Star: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
• 2× All-NBA Third Team: 2015, 2016
• NBA All-Defensive Second Team: 2019
• NBA Three-Point Contest champion: 2016
• NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2012
• NBA regular season record for most points scored in a quarter (37)
• NBA regular season record for most three-pointers made in a game (14)
• NBA record for most three-pointers made in a single playoffs (98 tied with Stephen Curry)