Four-time NBA champion and one of the most fabulous shooters in league history, Klay Thompson has already had a huge career. He nevertheless has a huge regret: the 2016 Finals, lost against the Cavaliers at the end of Game 7.
But even more than the defeat, it is one action in particular that is always painful for the back of Golden State. Not LeBron James’ huge counter, but Kyrie Irving’s 3-point shot.
“Having changed with Stephen Curry in defense is the biggest regret of my career”, he says for the podcast All the Smoke. “I took JR Smith and him Kyrie. I still can’t see the pictures again, I’m too uncomfortable in front of them. I can’t understand how I could change like that. »
It was the order and Thompson followed perfectly when a miscommunication between him and Curry would have left a shot open to Smith… And if the MVP of the Finals 2022 does not have much to reproach himself against Irving, author of a shot as complicated as it is perfect, for Thompson, it remains difficult to swallow.
“Kyrie put in one of the greatest shots in NBA history. Stephen is a good defender too, but it still tears me apart to have made that change. When I look at the footage I see that Smith’s screen wasn’t great, I could have got away with it. You never get over this stuff in a career. »
| Klay Thompson | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2011-12 | GOS | 66 | 24 | 44.3 | 41.4 | 86.8 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 12.5 |
| 2012-13 | GOS | 82 | 36 | 42.2 | 40.1 | 84.1 | 0.4 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 16.6 |
| 2013-14 | GOS | 81 | 35 | 44.4 | 41.7 | 79.5 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 18.4 |
| 2014-15 | GOS | 77 | 32 | 46.3 | 43.9 | 87.9 | 0.4 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 21.7 |
| 2015-16 | GOS | 80 | 33 | 47.0 | 42.5 | 87.3 | 0.4 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 22.1 |
| 2016-17 | GOS | 78 | 34 | 46.8 | 41.4 | 85.3 | 0.6 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 22.3 |
| 2017-18 | GOS | 73 | 34 | 48.8 | 44.0 | 83.7 | 0.4 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 20.0 |
| 2018-19 | GOS | 78 | 34 | 46.7 | 40.2 | 81.6 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 21.5 |
| 2021-22 | GOS | 32 | 29 | 42.9 | 38.5 | 90.2 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 20.4 |
| 2022-23 | GOS | 1 | 20 | 46.2 | 33.3 | 80.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 18.0 |
| Total | 648 | 33 | 45.8 | 41.7 | 84.9 | 0.4 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 19.5 | |
