Klay Thompson calls out Charles Barkley, addresses ejection and words
with Devin Booker
After Warriors' win against Heat, Klay Thompson shot back at critic
Charles Barkley
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 11: Golden State Warriors’ Klay
Thompson (11) walks off the court after warmups before their preseason
game against the Portland Trailblazers at Chase Center in San Francisco,
Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
By SHAYNA RUBIN | srubin@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: October 28, 2022 at 12:11 a.m. | UPDATED: October 28, 2022 at
9:55 a.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/10/28/klay-thompson-calls-out-charles-barkley-addresses-ejection-and-words-with-devin-booker/

These days, Klay Thompson is just trying to find a balance.

A balance between his fierce competitive fire and the minutes
restriction that holds him back. A balance between his outward zen and
the frustration he feels when his ego is tested. He’s still finding his
footing on the court, too. He’s getting the right lift under his legs
when he dances into his textbook shooting form even if those shots are
falling short.

Thompson had typically been able to keep those battles brewing below
water. But he’s talking now.

After the Warriors’ 123-110 win over the Miami Heat on Thursday,
Thompson addressed his shooting slump, the Devin Booker spat that led to
his first career ejection and, unprompted, TNT panelist Charles
Barkley’s comment that Thompson is “not the same guy” after his injuries.

“No duh, man,” Thompson said of Barkley’s comment. “I tore my ACL and
Achilles in consecutive years and still helped a team win a
championship. It hurt hearing that because I put so much freakin’ effort
getting back to this point. It’s hard to even put into words what I had
to do to be the player I am today. Played 57 games in three years, give
me some freakin’ time to get that back…It hurt my heart hearing that.”

Steph Curry had his teammate’s back.

“Certain guys kinda forget what their careers looked like on the back
end,” Curry said. “So you can cast and throw those stones, but Klay is
still here helping us win championships after two hellish years he had.”

The truth lies somewhere between. Unsurprisingly, Thompson hasn’t been
scoring or defending like his pre-injured self; he is shooting below 40%
from 3 for the first time in his career since his January return last
season. He was shooting 28% from 3 heading into Thursday’s game.

But Thompson’s legs are coming back, his conditioning is improving and —
most importantly to Thompson — his minutes restriction is slowly rising
from 15 minutes, where it began the season, to 29 against Miami, when he
went 5-for-14 from 3.

Some of those 3s came with Curry seeking him out. After 12 years
together, Curry has a knack for knowing when to start feeding Thompson.
Including a pair of back-to-back Thompson 3-pointers on Curry assists to
open the second half.

“A good rule of thumb is to get Klay shots,” Curry said. “That’s usually
a good decision.”

Thompson usually starts seasons in shooting slumps, he noted. It’s true.
He’s shot well below 40 percent in five of his last six Octobers. It’s
never stopped him from shooting, and it’s always paid off.

“If I’m not out there shooting, I don’t know what to do,” Thompson said.
“That’s what I was born to do. I’ve made more playoff threes than
everybody except Steph. So I’m going to let it fly anytime I’m open.
That’s my nature.”

That confidence could give Warriors fans solace that Thompson won’t be
slumping all year while conceding that the major injuries throw a wrench
into normality for the 32-year-old guard.

But that same confidence now fuels trash talk. Tuesday in Phoenix,
Thompson had his first career ejection after arguing with Suns player
Booker during the game. Thompson was repeatedly reminding Booker of the
four championship rings he’s won with the Warriors.

Thompson doesn’t remember what he said to Booker.

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“I’m not sure, sounds like I was stating facts,” Thompson said.
“Honestly I don’t even remember. Pretty much blacked out and (was) in a
very angry place at the time. Sometimes it feels good to let go of the
frustration. Better than holding it in.”

In a postgame interview, Booker said he always admired Thompson’s game
and the ejection was just in heat of competition.

Thompson reciprocated Booker’s reverence for him with a story about
Booker texting that “the shooting guard battle won’t be the same”
without him after he tore his Achilles two years ago. And, no, they
haven’t texted since the on-court scuffle. But best believe Thompson
will add this and the Barkley comment to the large chip on his shoulder.

“I’m going to internalize it and it’s gonna be fuel for me to be even
better,” Thompson said. “I’m going to have a great year, bet on that.”

--
Shayna Rubin | General Assignment Sports Reporter
Shayna covers Bay Area sports for the Bay Area News Group. She covered
the Oakland A's from 2019 to 2021 and, most recently, the Golden State
Warriors' championship run in 2022. Shayna is a San Francisco native.