For an athlete, longevity is a vital metric they want to stretch. Players want to play for as long and at an elite level in their career. You see someone like LeBron James, still looking spotless in Year 21. However, it’s important to understand that he is a rare case. Almost all the greats reach a phase where their decline begins. If you account for two major injuries suffered back to back, they might just be reduced to a shadow of themselves. Klay Thompson suffered these injuries. This season he has struggled to stay efficient and mirror his output from his fruitful years. Still, Stephen Curry thinks the narratives emerging are unfair.

Thompson was having a rough season. His three-point shooting, the most potent skill in his arsenal dipped. His shots weren’t going in and that fostered frustration. The Splash Brother seemed disturbed and unsettled. Steve Kerr had to make a difficult decision. Thompson was shifted to the bench.

He was understandably upset yet cooperative because of his selfless nature. As it turns out, that was all he needed to erase the doubts over his career.

Stephen Curry says bench role gave Klay Thompson an outlet for his anger

It was in 2012 that Klay Thompson last came off the bench. Since then, it was seldom for him to even be in the conversation to be demoted. He became a fearful shooter and formed the Splash Brother duo with Stephen Curry. Twelve years later he was back there almost feeling like a rookie who was yearning to prove himself.

When he got the opportunity, we saw a Klay Thompson classic. He scored a season-high mark of 35 points and led the Golden State Warriors to a close win against the Utah Jazz. His reputation which had tainted was once again revived. Thompson wasn’t done.

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When speaking to Kendra Andrews, Stephen Curry said the competitor within Thompson got “pissed” which eventually culminated in a remarkable shooting performance.

“There is only one way for him to respond. It’s the way he did. I think there has been a lot of narratives around his season since he has come back from his injuries. Some fair a lot unfair. I think the natural evolution of all our careers is you know, try to figure out how to continue to win but it might look a little different. The way that he responded, this is the Klay Thompson that I know. The true competitor, the true dog like he got pissed off and said ‘Watch this’,” said Curry.

Klay Thompson might not be able to consistently have such performances. The Splash Brothers will most likely not be as threatening as they once were. Regardless, Stephen Curry is still proud of Thompson for his resurgence after suffering what for any other player could have been career-ending injuries.

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Thompson himself looked confident against the Jazz. He didn’t hesitate to take a shot, was never undeceive and it led to his best performance of the season. That’s the Klay the Warriors need – a fearless shooter who will force the defenses to acknowledge him. His being such an instrumental part of the Warriors even after suffering such high-degree injuries is a testament to his work ethic and greatness.

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We shouldn’t take Klay Thompson for granted. But more importantly, never write him off.