Klay Thompson on the beginning of the end of his career: ‘I can’t believe it is here’

We got real up close and personal with Klay Thompson when he appeared on teammate Draymond Green’s podcast at the start of the week, exploring his feelings about Golden State’s present and him reaching the latter part of his career. One thing we know for sure is, the player and the Warriors didn’t agree on a contract extension last summer and are still figuring things out. 

As the sharpshooter is set to hit free agency by the end of this campaign, fans and experts are wondering if there’s been any in-season agreement. However, the veteran has been very outspoken about wanting to re-sign and retire with the only NBA club he ever player for.

When thinking about his old age in professional basketball, Klay got sentimental. “I just can’t believe it’s here. When you’re in your mid-20s, it’s so crazy, you think you’re going to play forever,” he shared. “And you think if you maintain that athletic level, it seems effortless.”

"Yes, I wanna re-sign with the [Warriors], but I also have to prioritize my mental health and lay out what's important to me at this point in my career."

Klay Thompson on the upcoming free agency 🗣️

(via @TheVolumeSports)pic.twitter.com/mYJaCB8bvi

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 9, 2024

Thompson acknowledged on The Draymond Green Show that being an athlete is much harder than you’d imagine. “But then as time goes on, you realize how demanding this job really is. It’s so physically demanding. I was actually struggling a lot with that at the beginning of this year because of the unknown,” he admitted.

The player then revealed that his contractual situation affected his game. “I might’ve let contract situations or playing time or making up a lot of excuses rather than just appreciating what is in front of me. It took me and [Warriors coach] Steve [Kerr] like four real, heart-to-heart talks to finally break my shell. Being like you know what? I got to have fun this year. I deserve to have fun,” the guard expressed.

The 34-year-old, who has been averaging 17.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest this campaign, now believes he should enjoy what he’s helped build in Golden State.

“We worked so hard to win these games and play into June, have fans on the road. My first couple of years, there might have been a few Steph Curry jerseys in the crowd. Now it’s like a whole contingent of Warriors fans on the road,” Klay assured.

The sharpshooter revealed that both his age and contract situation had been messing with his motivation since the start of the season

This 2023/24 season, Thompson has had to come to terms with reality. Not only did he realize that he wasn’t going to be young and full of energy forever, but also understood that if he doesn’t keep up his talents, he might not wear the Warriors jersey until the end of his career.

“I was kind of grappling with that this year, it’s almost like your own mortality as an athlete like, ‘Damn I might not be able to elevate like I once did or I might not slide my feet left to right like I once did, but I can still be a heck of a player if I just give gratitude and keep that perspective like I’m out here balling.’ That was hard for me these last few years,” he recalled.

The 34-year-old mentioned how injuries can be traumatizing if players don’t keep their head cool, as many never return to their best form after a long time on the sidelines.

“When you go through injuries, you’re so used to playing at a certain level, guarding a certain guy, shooting certain shots. Then you have to adjust all of that. That was the hardest part of my career,” he admitted.