Klay Thompson on previous struggles: I let outdoors noise get in my head
After 13 seasons with the Golden State Warriors, Klay Thompson left the crew and signed with the Dallas Mavericks. The 2023-24 season proved troublesome for Thompson, as he struggled along with his shot and was relegated to the bench for 14 video games.
Reflecting on his difficult season, Thompson admitted that exterior criticism and self-doubt impacted his efficiency. “The final two years have been so robust for me,” Thompson shared with Tristan Jass, through HoopsHype. “You attempt to measure your self to what you have been, and like, all of the accomplishments… I let a lot different crap get into my head, and I forgot why I actually play this recreation.”
Thompson acknowledged that he had targeted an excessive amount of on evaluating himself to others. “I didn’t notice how massive a waste of power that’s,” Thompson stated. He pointed to the adverse feedback from critics and social media, explaining how these outdoors voices interfered along with his love for the sport. “I let that impede what I used to be nice eventually 12 months.”
Regardless of the challenges, Thompson remained pleased with his efficiency through the season. “On the finish of the day, I look again like, bro, I nonetheless play an exceptional model of ball,” he stated. “You 18 a recreation, 39% from three. I’m not gonna let somebody inform me that’s not nice.”
Thompson’s means to attain almost 18 factors per recreation and shoot slightly below 39% from three-point vary final season highlights his continued worth on the court docket. He additionally averaged 3.3 rebounds and a couple of.3 assists in 29.7 minutes per recreation, solidifying his presence regardless of the difficulties.
His departure from Golden State marked the tip of an period for the Warriors, the place Thompson was an integral a part of the crew’s dynasty, profitable a number of championships alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Inexperienced. Nevertheless, his transfer to Dallas represents a contemporary begin as Thompson seeks to rediscover his ardour for the sport.
The summer time of 2024 allowed Thompson to mirror on his profession and rekindle his love for basketball. He emphasised how essential it was for him to get again to the fundamentals. “That’s why the summer time’s been so massive for me… I like [the game], you recognize?” Thompson defined, highlighting the necessity to give attention to what really issues: his love for basketball and never outdoors expectations.
Now with the Mavericks, Thompson appears to be like to channel that renewed perspective into his upcoming season. He enters the 2024-25 season with a contemporary mindset and a want to show that he can nonetheless be a big contributor within the NBA. At 34 years previous, Thompson’s veteran expertise and elite taking pictures will undoubtedly present Dallas with a beneficial asset.
For Thompson, his story is not about dwelling as much as what others anticipate however about having fun with the sport he has performed for over a decade. As he put it, “I’m not gonna let somebody inform me that’s not nice.”
