Struggling to hold back his feelings after a tough night, Klay Thompson glanced up to the highest seats of Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center and spotted one fan still wearing his No. 11 jersey.
That sight meant a lot to him, a memory to cherish as he heads into the offseason, despite his tough game where he missed all 10 shots in a 118-94 loss against Sacramento in the play-in tournament on Tuesday. That loss ended the Warriors’ season without a playoff spot.
Where he’ll play next season is a big decision for Thompson and the Golden State team. “Of course, you want to keep winning. When you’ve been part of winning teams, you don’t want that to change. So, I want to keep winning.
Another championship would be nice,” he said, referring to having a championship ring on each finger of one hand. “I still believe it’s possible. It’ll just take a big effort. But aside from that, I need to think about what will truly make me happy in the last few years of my career.”
For now, Thompson feels he needs some time to relax. The season was tough. He moved in and out of the starting lineup and said he’s learned not to only support the team when they’re winning.
“I did look up at the upper seats and saw someone wearing my number 11 jersey. That made me happy, especially with my history in Sacramento, from winning a state championship there to playing against the Kings in the playoffs,” Thompson shared on Tuesday.
At that time, the big question was whether he’d still be wearing the No. 11 jersey next season.
“That was kind of a full circle moment for me. So, seeing that Warriors fan standing alone in the 300 level representing 11 made me grateful.” Thompson is clear that he wants to continue winning and is aiming for a fifth championship before he retires.
“When you’re not performing as well as you’d like, you might feel down or frustrated,” he said. “I think I handled that better this year, focusing on having positive body language and remembering why I love this game.”
Thompson has often said he wants to stay with Golden State for his entire career. Earlier this year, he said, “I’d like to be a Warrior forever.” But he also knows he needs to consider other options.
“I haven’t thought too much about the distant future because I still need to process the ups and downs of this past year,” he said. “But in the end, both personally and as a team, we did everything we could to win as many games as possible.”
Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and the rest of the Warriors hope Thompson will stay with the team to keep chasing championships. They hope this wasn’t his last game with them.
Thompson didn’t want to make any bold statements about the future yet, still feeling disappointed about the season-ending sooner than expected. He also missed all six of his 3-point attempts, which was tough for coach Steve Kerr to see.
“I have a lot of love for Klay, considering what he’s meant to me over the past 10 years,” Kerr said. “I’ve seen him battle through injuries in the last couple of years, and I’ve seen him turn his season around with his mindset.
In the second half of the season, he seemed to enjoy playing more freely and with more joy.” Thompson, who is 34 years old, will become a free agent in July when his five-year contract worth nearly $190 million expires.
“He’s been here his entire career,” teammate Kevon Looney said on Wednesday. “When you think about the Warriors, you think of Steph, Klay, and Draymond.
It would be strange to see him in another team’s jersey or competing for another team. But in the NBA, players switch teams more often than they stay with one team. It’s hard for me to imagine that.”
Thompson is proud of his successful comeback after missing more than 2 1/2 years due to surgeries on his left knee and right Achilles. He is determined to continue playing and proving doubters wrong. “When the time comes, I’m not trying to set an end date for my career,” Thompson said. “That’s something you just feel out.”
