Getty Klay Thompson and Draymond Green celebrate during an NBA Finals bout between the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics in 2022.
Draymond Green has major concerns about his Golden State Warriors teammate Klay Thompson. He knows what Thompson is capable of, to be sure, but he has been worried that the Dubs sharpshooter isn’t fully committed to bringing his A-game in support of fellow Splash Bro Stephen Curry.
So, as he’s wont to do, Green has endeavored to push Thompson along to ensure that the baller is prepared when the time comes.
Not on the hardwood, mind you — No. 11 is ready to roll there. Rather, on the links, where Steph and Klay will both be taking part in TNT’s The Match. The event, taking place on Thursday (broadcast begins at 3:30 p.m. PT), will pit the Warriors duo against NFL stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
“I’ve been checking in on Klay and making sure he’s working on his golf game,” Green told People in an interview published on the eve of the showdown.
Unfortunately for Curry, Green has some major concerns about their longtime cohort.
Draymond Green Fears Klay Thompson Will Be a ‘Let-Down’ During Match
Of course, Curry is no slouch when it comes to golf. The two-time NBA MVP drilled a 97-yard eagle shot at the American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe South last year and has mused about a career in the PGA in the past. He also created the Underrated Tour for youth golfers.
Green understands Steph’s commitment to the game and doesn’t want Thompson to negatively impact him during The Match. Alas, he doesn’t believe the latter shares that level of commitment.
“Making sure he really gets out there on the course and that his game is ready to go. Don’t come out there and be a let-down for Steph because I know Steph’s coming out serious as hell, and I would just hate to see Klay pull the team down,” Green said.
“The question is — has Klay been golfing every day? And the reality is, I don’t think so.”
Green told people that he’ll “try not to be a homer” but he’s definitely pulling for his guys, regardless of what Thompson does.
“Obviously, Steph and Klay being my brothers and the wars and battles that we’ve been through together, this will be a fun one that we can joke around about a bit.”
Former Warrior Signs With EuroLeague Power
Amid a flurry of reports that the former Warriors guard may have found a new basketball home, Nico Mannion has finally made it official. As announced by the team on Tuesday, the 22-year-old has signed on the dotted line with Saski Baskonia of Spain’s ACB league and EuroLeague.
The deal is for the next two seasons.
Mannion spent the previous two years with Virtus Bologna of Italy’s Serie A league, with whom he expected to have a better opportunity to grow his game than he would have gotten with the Dubs. Instead, he was hampered by a severe intestinal infection, COVID-19, injuries and the presence of several veteran players in the team’s backcourt.
He did play a larger role in 2022-23, though, averaging 8.0 points and 2.8 assists while making 37.9% of his three-point attempts in 50 games (26 starts) across all competitions.