Steve Kerr on Klay Thompson adjusting to coming off the bench: "This has been an emotional season for [Thompson] he's been grappling with his mortality, in some ways, as an athlete." "Coming off the bench has maybe helped... He's more relaxed, his approach, his leadership in…
Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson allegedly yelled at Steve Kerr after being moved to the bench
NBASaturday, 02 March 2024 at 22:51
Klay Thompson's move to the bench of the Golden State Warriors' roster has worked out pretty well for him so far and has averaged 19.2 points a game, a step up from what he was doing for the first part of the season. His numbers are mostly up across the board and it looks like Thompson is adjusting quite well.
But that wasn't always the case, according to a new report from ESPN. Kendra Andrew dug into Thompson's move to the bench and revealed that it was strife with problems and heightened emotions.
According to the report:
"Thompson initially didn't take the news well. Kerr told ESPN that Thompson yelled at him and some of the assistants. Later, he came back to apologize to the coaches.
"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.'"
After months of Thompson coming up short, Kerr decided it was time for the four-time champion to ride the bench for a while. It was a monumental change for Thompson, who hadn't come off the bench from his freshman year.
He apparently didn't take it well but eventually came around to the idea of not being a starter. To Thompson, it was a huge demotion, at least at first. But once he figured out that he could still help the Warriors in a big way, he got used to the idea of being in the second unit.
He's not the only Warriors player who had to make peace with being a bench player. Chris Paul is no longer starting in games either after years of being the predominant point guard for his teams. It's a season of change for both Thompson and Paul and they now seem to be okay with that.
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