The decision by coach Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors and to shift Klay Thompson to a sixth-man role has been a rollercoaster ride. Fortunately for the team and Thompson, it’s worked out well thus far. But the initial discussion between the coaching staff and the sharpshooter about the move wasn’t exactly met with positivity.
Kerr offered insight into how things played out, revealing that Thompson yelled at him and a few assistant coaches when he was informed of the decision, according to ESPN’s Kendra Andrews.
The Golden State coach explained that Thompson later returned to apologize for his reaction. But from Kerr’s perspective, it’s easy to understand why the five-time NBA All-Star responded the way he did when first receiving the news.
Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
“It was not an easy conversation,” Kerr said. “This is maybe the hardest part about getting further away from our prime. It’s just, after 12 years [of Thompson starting], it wasn’t easy
“And still moving forward, it’s not going to be easy. But I told him, ‘If you really embrace it, you can help your team win.’”
Thompson’s first game in the sixth-man role ignited one of his best performances of the season. He finished with 35 points while knocking down 13 of 22 attempts from the field and 7 of 13 shots from beyond the arc. Thompson was integral in the Warriors pulling out a narrow 140–137 victory in the Feb. 15 road matchup against the Utah Jazz.
Thompson’s comments after that game were noteworthy, as he appeared open-minded about his new role.
“You can do two things,” Thompson said after the win, “You can pout, or you can go out there and respond.”
So far, Thompson’s responded in a big way, and it’s been pivotal for a Warriors team that’s won four of the last five games since the role change.
