"You Are Klay Thompson"- Stephen A. Smith praises Klay Thompson for silencing his haters

Stephen A. Smith of ESPN's 'First Take' talks about Klay Thompson's 41 point performance and his recent shooting struggle.

Klay Thompson leads Golden State Warriors to their winning ways by finding his way out of his slump as they go on a four game win streak Image credit: Twitter/Golden State Warriors
By Shrey Gupta | Nov 23, 2022 | 3 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

Golden State Warriors veteran shooting Guard Klay Thompson was playing NBA-level basketball for less than a season after his Achilles and ACL injuries back in 2019, and it sure has not been pretty. Thompson is a shell of his All-Ster self, but on November 20th, his performance against the Houston Rockets turned back the clock to the splash brother days. Klay Thompson scored a season-high 41 points, and Steph Curry added 33 as the Golden State Warriors beat the Houston Rockets 127-120 on Sunday night for their first road win.

Thompson had a vintage performance, hitting a sizzling 10 of 13 3-pointers and going 14 of 23 from the field. He is averaging 17 points this season and has played 50 regular season games since the 1019-19 season. Stephen A. Smith was beyond ecstatic about his comeback performance on his show The First Take.

Stephen said,” Well, he is not going to silence the haters. The hell with the haters. You [are] Klay Thompson. It’s nice to know you watch the first take. That’s what I’m talking about. That’s the Klay Thompson I’m talking about. Right there. You don’t have to shoot 10 of 13 when you are a 35% shooter. But you are Klay Thompson. That’s what I’m talking about.

Thompson, who was always a 40% plus shooter beyond the arc throughout his career, had a poor shooting start to this season at 35%. Critics across the NBA questioned whether Klay is fit for the starting two-guard role with Jordan Poole on the roster. He silenced all the critics with his monstrous 40-point game.

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Stephen A. Smith talks about Klay Thomson and his slump

Notable players that have made a full comeback after an injury are Kevin Durant, Paul George, and Larry Bird. Klay Thompson faced two injuries of such nature. It’s natural to be in a slump or find your groove back after sitting out for two years. Stephen A. Smith from ESPN’s ‘First Takes’ stopped by 95.7 The Game’s “Steiny and Guru” show on Thursday and gave his two cents about the same.

Smith said, “I’m going to tell you what I think the problem is,” Smith said. “I think there’s been a mistake in his offseason regimen. When he talked about barely touching a basketball and just barely working out and trying to get himself healthy, I think that was a mistake.” According to Smith, the Golden State Warriors needed to get him conditioned during the off-Season. 

Stephen A. Smith believes that Klay Thompson is the “forgotten champion”

Klay Thompson’s return to the Golden State Warriors fuelled their fourth NBA championship win in 8 years. The trio of Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and Stephen Curry, when healthy, has never been beaten in the off-season. Klay coming back instantly took the Warriors to the finals, and they went from one of the teams that were in the ‘Play-In’ tournament in 2021 to being one with championship caliber. 

Smith said, “He forgot he’s a champion. What I meant by that is, we ain’t questioning your ability and what you can’t do. We damn sure ain’t questioning your heart. You’re walking out there like you got something to prove. You’ve already proven it. Just play.”

Klay has had two back-to-back games where he has played like his old self. The game against New York on the 18th saw him get off to a hot start and his 41-point performance with 10 threes is another notch on his belt. Smith believes that confidence is what Klay lacks. Hopefully, Klay can find his groove again.