Klay Thompson came off the bench on Thursday night for the first time since his rookie season, and the Golden State Warriors star said thinking about one particular NBA legend helped him embrace the role.
Thompson led the Warriors to a 140-137 win over the Utah Jazz with 35 points and 6 rebounds. He went 7-of-13 from 3-point range. After the game, Thompson told reporters that he got into the right mindset by thinking about the career former San Antonio Spurs star Manu Ginobili had.
“I thought about Manu Ginobili. That guy has four rings and a gold medal,” Thompson said. “Came off the bench his whole career, and I don’t think anyone looks down on his Hall of Fame candidacy. He’s one of the greats. I embraced it before tip.”
Ginobili won four NBA titles with the Spurs and played a key role on all of those teams. He came off the bench for almost his entire career.
Thompson also said he realized he is going to “play a ton of minutes” even if he does not start the game on the floor. He said he has to “let the ego go” even if he is not technically a starter.
If Thompson responds to coming off the bench the way he did on Thursday, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr will look like a genius. The question is whether Thompson can maintain that mindset for the rest of the season if his new role becomes permanent.
Thompson seemed to have a good attitude about having his role reduced earlier this week. The 35-point performance will probably help his psyche.
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