Klay Thompson shares meditative approach to pregame routines

The Golden State Warriors sharpshooter shared his individualized approach to pregame routines, as the team prepares for Tuesday’s Game 1 showdown with the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals.

“I try to do the same approach with basketball,” Thompson said of emulating Tiger Woods’ routines following Monday’s practice, via Mark Medina of The Mercury News. “I just try to visualize getting my spots, what my opponents are going to do, so when you come to the game, you’ve kind of seen it before.”

Thompson also explained how using the right kind of music highlights his meditative approach to pregame preparation, citing how it helps him work out of slumps and on-court struggles.

“I try to play some classical [music] on Pandora or some nature sounds. I can’t listen to rap or hip hop while I do it because I then get distracted,” Thompson said. “It’s something pleasant in the background. It’s nice. It’s a challenge and much harder than working out. I got my mind racing. It’s a good practice for me.”

Thompson’s uneven regular season carried into the Warriors’ pursuit of a fifth consecutive appearance in the NBA Finals and a championship three-peat in the playoffs.

Averaging 18.3 points per game and converting on 41.2 percent of his three-point attempts in the postseason, Thompson finished off the semifinal series against the Houston Rockets on a hot streak with consecutive 27-point games, during which he shot 50 percent and 53.8 percent from beyond the arc in Games 5 and 6, respectively.

Thompson seemingly has rediscovered his stroke from long distance ahead of the Western Conference Finals, and it seems his new age-esque approach to pregame prep at the very least is putting him in the right mindset. With Kevin Durant out for Game 1 at a minimum, the Warriors will need Thompson firing on all cylinders.