Why Klay deserves all the love from Warriors fans over Chase originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
No matter how deep one dives into NBA history, they will not find a more decorated teammate tandem than Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, the twin pillars of the remarkable Chicago Bulls dynasty that won six championships.
Jordan and Pippen were great as individuals but incredible as a duo. Although their offense was excellent, it was their role as lead dogs in Chicago’s famous “Doberman” defense that formed the backbone of those teams. Michael and Scottie, all arms and legs and nervous athleticism, spent 691 games terrorizing opposing offenses.
Stephen Curry and Klay Thompsonequally symbiotic, spent 666 games as Golden State Warriors teammates doing the same against opposing defenses.
Just as there’s never been a pair of wings as menacing as Jordan and Pippen, there’s never been a pair of guards more perfectly suited to manhandling defenses than the pair that earned their “Splash Brothers” nickname.
That’s among several reasons why Thompson deserves the warmest of welcomes Tuesday night when as a member of the Dallas Mavericks he takes the floor in Chase Center to face Curry and the Warriors. Curry is Golden State’s undisputed franchise player, No. 1 on the list of distinguished greats, but Klay’s presence was a vital component in Steph reaching that stature.
Simply put, each reached its peak largely because of the existence of the other.
The Warriors plan an elaborate party of Thompson’s Golden State career that includes every fan entering the building receiving a captain’s cap, as Klay often did on the boat he sometimes used to commute to practice and games. The cap will feature a Warriors logo. Curry will wear such a cap, eventually removing it as a signal to every fan to follow suit.
There will be the temporary tribute video, supposedly lasting about a minute. Perhaps it should be one minute and 11 seconds – a nod to Thompson’s jersey number 11 and when he was selected in the 2011 NBA draft.
Honestly, though, the Warriors could easily fill Chase by producing and showing a full hour of video showing nothing more than highlights of Curry and Thompson’s careers. Their well of symbiotic excellence, set to music, would be met with chills and tears and gilded memories of what was.
And what may never be again, because Curry is a generational talent and Thompson is a picture-perfect shooter whose hot streaks have surpassed even his longtime partner’s feats. Thompson with a record 37 points in a quarter, on 13-of-13 shooting, including 9-of-9 from beyond the arc – another record. Klay owns the single-game record of 14 triples, shattering a record previously owned by Curry – who served the assist on Thompson’s 14th.
Fans often marvel at the court chemistry between Draymond Green and Curry, as illustrated by Draymond’s 611 assists on Steph’s 3-pointers. The only duo with a higher total as teammates in the 21st century? Curry to Thompson, with 622.
There have been many great NBA backyards. Detroit’s Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars. Bob Cousy and Sam Jones from Boston. Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe of New York. Jerry West and Gail Goodrich of the Lakers. More recently, San Antonio’s Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Ten men, all in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, and none of them appeared as teammates in five consecutive All-Star games – and made the NBA Finals in all five seasons.
That feat is unique to the pair of future Golden State Hall of Famers.
11 years ago Mark Jackson, then head coach of the Warriors, made a bold statement about Curry and Thompson that raised eyebrows around Planet Hoops.
“In my opinion, they’re the greatest shooting backcourt in the history of the game,” Jackson said in April 2013.
Curry turned 25 a month earlier. Klay had turned 23 two months earlier — and had just one full season as a starter. They were ridiculously young to receive such high praise from someone like Jackson, a point guard who played in the NBA for 17 years, ranks sixth on the career assists list and was an All-Star in 1989.
Jackson’s words, considered by some to be manufactured hyperbole, have become gospel. There is no argument. Indeed, the Curry-Thompson backcourt sits alone as the best to ever do it together, and not just offensively. They elevated a franchise from ordinary to iconic and became global celebrities.
Thompson arrived in the Bay Area 13 years ago, graduating from Washington State University. He became a full-time starter, along with Curry, in his second season. He blossomed into an all-time great, a Warriors legend and a Bay Area sports icon.
Stand up for Klay. Say hello to Klay. Cheer for Klay. Because he shares a hug with Steph before he lets it be known despite his thorny departurehe will always be loved by Dub Nation.
