Getty Klay Thompson reacts to a play during the 2019 NBA Finals.
This year’s Golden State Warriors team had one player named to the list of top 75 players in NBA history. If Klay Thompson had a say in it, there may have been two.
The league on Thursday revealed the final portion of the NBA 75 list, released in celebration of its 75th anniversary. Steph Curry was one of the 11 active NBA players on the list, but his fellow Splash Brother was not included — and wasn’t too happy about it.
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Thompson Sounds Off
The league had released the list in two parts during the opening week of the season, with the final portion coming out on Thursday. As ESPN noted, it was put together by a panel of experts that include members of the media, current and former players, coaches, and team executives. The list of top 75 players actually included 76, as there was a tie in voting.
Thompson was not among the players honored and took to Instagram on Thursday to share his disbelief, saying he believes he should have earned a spot.
“Maybe I’m just naive in my ability to play basketball, but in my head I’m TOP 75 all time,” he wrote.
In the caption for his post, Thompson wrote that the snub was “fuel for the fire,” something he’s been accumulating during his two years away from the court following back-to-back major injuries. Thompson said he’s eager to return to the Warriors for the first time since the 2019 NBA Finals and plans to come back strong.
“I plan on being the All-NBA player I was,” he declared, via ESPN’s Nick Friedell. “I will not settle for anything less. I’m too competitive to just take a relegated role. That’s not me.
“I’m too fiery just to come out there and give you 13 [points] a game on 20 minutes,” Thompson added. “I can’t wait, man. I got a lot of pent up energy.”
While he may have missed out on list of the NBA’s 75 best players of all time, Thompson likely has plenty of accolades coming his way. In an article for ESPN, Friedell predicted that he would be headed to the Hall of Fame one day and could be remembered as the league’s second-best shooter of all time — behind only Curry, his fellow Splash Brother.
Curry Honored
While Thompson may have been a bit miffed that he was left off the list, few were likely surprised to see Curry on it. The Warriors guard is a two-time MVP, including the first to ever receive a unanimous selection.
Curry told the San Francisco Chronicle’s Rusty Simmons that it was a big honor to be included, especially when he considers the great players who have suited up during the league’s long history.
Changed the game for good. Now recognized as one of the 75 greatest to ever play.
Congrats, @StephenCurry30 👏
“You just look at the list and see who you’re beside on that. That puts it into perspective enough,” Curry said. “When you think about how many guys have suited up and put an NBA jersey on and done amazing things in their careers throughout the years, that’s a special, special list.”
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