In athletics, getting older is never easy. It’s not easy for players who were multiple-time All-Stars to find themselves on the bench, and Klay Thompson is one such player. Steph Curry can relate to this narrative.
In a rare interview, Steph Curry discussed Klay Thompson coming off the bench with ESPN’s Malika Andrews.
“It was weird,” Curry told Andrews. “I’ve come off the bench a couple of times and seen him start, so it was weird to switch roles.”
Even though Klay Thompson coming off the bench could have been discouraging, he managed it better than anyone. Thompson shot 59/54/100 from the field to score 35 points, grab 6 rebounds, and dish out 2 assists. The most significant statistic was that he won a crucial game against the Utah Jazz by a significant margin.
“For him, there’s only one way for him to respond: the way that he did,” Curry said. “I think there’s been a lot of narratives around his season and since he’s come back from his injuries – a lot unfair.”
Even though Klay Thompson has a tendency to act carefree, he is still an intense competitor at heart. An NBA player needs desire to recover from numerous major injuries the way he did. Steph Curry thinks that kind of intensity and zeal became evident as soon as Klay was given the opportunity to come off the bench.
“I think the natural evolution of all of our careers is trying to figure out how to continue to win, but it might look a little different,” Curry said. “The way that he responded is the Klay Thompson that I know — the true competitor, the true dawg. He got pissed off and said, ‘Watch this.’ I think a lot of it is just knowing who he is.”
Klay Thompson’s new role off the bench has only been in place for one game. It may be little, but it’s still 1-0.
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