Is Sixth Man Klay Thompson the new Bill Walton or Manu Ginobili?

Klay Thompson came off the bench for the first time since his rookie season Thursday night. And he shone, scoring 35 points in just 28 minutes, helping the Warriors march into the All-Star break with a 140-137 win over the Jazz.

Could Thompson -- a surefire future Hall of Famer -- replicate other greats such as Bill Walton and Manu Ginobili and find his footing as a sixth man?

Both Walton and Ginobili took on bench roles after being plagued by career-threatening injuries, and their selfless moves earned them more championship rings.

While Walton -- after dealing with recurring foot problems -- won the Sixth Man of the Year during the Celtics' dominant 1986 championship run, Ginobili suffered from severe foot and ankle injuries in 2006, a year after making his first All-Star team and helping the Spurs capture their third championship. Ahead of the 2006-07 campaign, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich made the call to bring Ginobili off the bench. The outcome? Two more championships -- in 2007 and 2014.

Although Thompson did successfully return from two debilitating injuries, many believe the surgeries took a toll on the sharpshooter's ability to move as briskly as he once did -- especially on defense. As such, a sixth-man role for Thompson could be just what the doctor ordered for both him and Golden State.

After his 35-point game off the bench, Thompson invoked Ginobili while embracing his new role.  

"I thought about Manu Ginobli, that guy has four rings and [a] gold medal, and he came off the bench his whole career, and I don't think anyone looks down on his Hall of Fame candidacy," Thompson said, via ESPN. "He's one of the greats. And I thought, I mean, I embraced it before tip, and I mean, I deserved it [the benching] really."

That's the attitude of an all-time great right there.