SAN FRANCISCO — As he occasionally does on the basketball court, Klay Thompson blacked out Tuesday night in Phoenix.
Usually those moments of unconsciousness occur when he’s busy sinking 3-pointers or celebrating with 3-goggles or throwing up six fingers in a Game 6. This time, he got caught up in a few minutes of trash talk with Suns guard Devin Booker before reaching a boiling point and getting ejected for the first time in 796 career games.
After scoring a season-high 19 points in Thursday night’s 123-110 win over the Miami Heat, Klay spoke to the media about his past 48 hours. The Warriors star has always been candid throughout his 12-year career and he kept it real when discussing the spat with Booker – when he flashed four fingers for his four NBA rings.
“It sounds like I was stating facts,” Thompson said. “Honestly, I don’t really remember. Kinda just blacked out, just very angry place at the time. Sometimes it feels good to let out all the frustration. It really does. It’s better than holding it in.”
Thompson also pointed to the history between the two. Not bad history, either, as Booker helped Thompson get through one of his darkest periods shortly after tearing his Achilles in November 2020.
“First ejection of my career, didn’t go into the game planning on that, but it happened,” Thompson said. “Sometimes our emotions get the best of us. It was fun, I love competing against Devin and I got a lot of respect for him. Just a couple guys going at it.
“He was actually one of the first people to text me when I tore my Achilles and said, ‘The shooting guard battle won’t be the same.' I got a lot of respect for him. When he did that, it meant a lot to me. Stuff happens.”
The respect is mutual.
Following his 34-point game in the 134-105 Suns victory, Booker had nothing but good things to say about Klay despite their drawn-out, heated confrontation. Booker has openly looked up to Thompson, since getting drafted just months after Klay and the Warriors won their first title in 2015.
"I love Klay Thompson and I have from the beginning," Booker told TNT Tuesday. "From the draft, coming out, I said I wanted to be Klay Thompson. That doesn’t excuse us from competing against each other and talking a little mess with each other. I had fun with it. Big fan of his and his competitive nature. That’s that."
"Man, I love Klay Thompson."
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) October 26, 2022
DBook on his exchange with Klay pic.twitter.com/lVPoe4IhqQ
The morning before he got ejected, Thompson talked about his slow start to the season and overcoming a minutes restriction. He said Tuesday’s ejection wasn’t a reflection of some deeper frustration as he tries to navigate through a season when he’s shooting 34.4 percent from the floor and 31 percent from distance. Klay went 2-for-8 from the field and 0-for-5 from 3-point land Tuesday before Booker got under his skin.
“I was just mad,” Thompson said. “I was just talking mess and I let my emotions get the best of me. I’m competitive. I’m not gonna back down. I’ve been in shooting slumps before. It’s pretty common for me to start the season, but hey, I’ll break out of it.”
Thompson found himself in an unfamiliar position for Thursday night’s contest against the Heat, trying to respond after a discipline-shortened game. Klay scored the first five points for the Warriors before going cold and missing his next six attempts. He heated up in the second half, with some help from Steph Curry, and finished 6-of-19 from the field and 5-of-14 from 3-point land.
“Tonight I just wanted to play with a free mind, great energy,” Thompson said. “I thought it was the best I felt all year. Thought I had a lot of great looks, a lot of short shots, but the fact they were on line is a great sign. I just know I’m due for a really great shooting night really soon.”
