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Can Klay Thompson really do anything to surprise us anymore? We should have known the injured Warriors star would figure out a way to get back on the court this season, even if it’s just to go from sidelined to sideline reporter for NBC Sports Bay Area Wednesday night.
Yes, the man affectionately dubbed “China Klay” and “Game 6 Klay” will take on a new alter ego: Correspondent Klay.
Although Thompson does have a nose for news, it also doesn’t take a whole lot of digging to discover another possible motivation for Klay to make sure he’s on the court Wednesday: The Bulls are in town.
Thompson is likely to miss the entire season while rehabbing a torn ACL he suffered in last year’s NBA Finals, but this is a perfect way for him to relive old glory days. Klay’s enjoyed more success against Chicago than any other team in the NBA over the past two seasons, averaging a whopping 37.3 points against the Bulls. Included in those totals, of course, is his record-setting night against the Bulls last October when he set the all-time NBA single-game mark of 14 3-pointers.
Plus, Thompson’s always in the middle of the action when the Warriors face the Bulls — his career usage rate against the Bulls (27.5%) is higher than any other team aside from Indiana during his eight years in the league.
Perhaps not so coincidentally, the Bulls’ Zach LaVine on Saturday came closer than anyone in the league to challenging Thompson’s 3-point record. On Saturday night, the Chicago star joined Klay and Stephen Curry as the only players in history to make at least 13 3-pointers in a game. LaVine had 49 points against Charlotte, including a game-winning 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds left.
Posing as a reporter and being on the court against the Bulls might just serve as a reminder to LaVine that Thompson’s still around, and he’s still the man to beat.
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