Klay offers direct answers to questions about his future with the Warriors originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
Did Klay Thompson play his last game for the only NBA team he ever knew?
Following a brutal display at the Warriors season-ending loss 118-94 to the Sacramento Kings in the NBA Play-In Tournament, Thompson addressed his uncertain future with the 34-year-old set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer.
Thompson quickly responded to questions about his uncertain road ahead, citing a desire to talk about the season that just ended rather than focusing on what awaits him when his contract with Golden State expires at the end of the 2023-24 NBA season. .
“Don’t we want to talk about the season first? Do we want to talk about the future?” Thompson responded bluntly to open his end-of-season interview with reporters. “Lots of games played, man. It was a huge accomplishment. What’s with you not wanting to live in the present, bro? It’s ridiculous.”
When asked about his confidence level in returning to the Warriors, Thompson reiterated that his focus remains on processing the raw emotions of a season that ended less than 24 hours ago.
“To be honest with you, I didn’t think much about it because of what I just said about the season we had and how much commitment it takes to play the games we did and give it our all.” Thompson told reporters. “So I haven’t really thought about it in the future because I still need to process the year we’ve had.
It was full of ups and downs, that at the end of the day – me personally and our team – we did everything we could to try to win as many games as we could.”
“What’s with you guys not wanting to live in the present? It’s ridiculous.”
Klay isn’t ready to start thinking about the future pic.twitter.com/fokLwzgTVh
– Warriors at NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 17, 2024
Following Golden State’s play-in loss for Sacramento, Thompson was seen immersed in his surroundings as he slowly walked off the court at the Golden 1 Center.
Klay Thompson shoots 0 of 10 in Sacramento’s elimination game and leaves for an unknown future with the Warriors. Here he is leaving the court. The biggest off-season question for GSW is whether he will wear this jersey again. pic.twitter.com/UEhaufsc0W
-Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 17, 2024
The shooting guard was asked about what was going through his head at that post-game moment, sharing a personal reflection on your difficult performance before revealing a heartbreaking revelation about something he noticed in the arena stands.
“Some of the things that went through my head? Hmm. Well, the first one, just disappointment because I didn’t shoot the ball well, obviously, a big ol’ donut. So it wasn’t very fun,” Thomson explained.
“I looked at the nosebleed and saw a man wearing a No. 11 jersey. That made me happy, considering my history in Sacramento, from playing in a state championship there to playing against the Kings in the playoffs. of a full circle happening for me. So it was a really good moment, just seeing that Warriors fan alone at level 300, repeating 11. It made me grateful.
Klay felt ‘grateful’ when he looked into the stands as he left the court last night and saw a lone Dubs fan wearing his jersey pic.twitter.com/vncgWwKdSG
– Warriors at NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 17, 2024
Thompson just completed his 13th season in the NBA, with his 35th birthday expected in February 2025. While he has solidified himself as a basketball icon over the past decade, it’s natural to wonder how much time Thompson has left in his illustrious career.
However, if you ask the five-time All-Star, that’s not something he’s worried about at present.
“When the time comes, I mean, I’m not trying to put an expiration date on my career,” Thompson shared. “That’s something you just feel.”
