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Golden State Warriors All-Star Klay Thompson was unhappy that voters left him off the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
One of his contemporaries who actually made the team was unhappy that Dubs’ Instagram implied Thompson should have gotten the nod instead.
All-NBA guard Damian Lillard, of the Portland Trailblazers, took specific exception to one Warriors fan who said, in so many words, that Lillard can’t hold a candle to the second half of Golden State’s Splash Brothers duo.
The Instagram account leaguealerts shared the weekend exchange online Monday, October 25.
“Better than Klay Thompson? Not in my book,” the fan wrote.
“Apparently yo book ain’t qualified enough to make these decisions,” Lillard responded. “You big mad.”
Thompson One of Biggest Active Snubs From NBA Anniversary Team
As with any exclusive club, there were several snubs from the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. And as with all perceived snubs, spirited debate ensued.
Thompson was arguably the biggest active snub from the memorial squad, save for Los Angeles Lakers Center Dwight Howard who is an eight-time All-Star, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, has finished in the top-five in Most Valuable Player (MVP) voting four times, appeared in two NBA Finals and has won one championship.
Thompson, on the other hand, is a five-time All-Star selection and has appeared in five NBA Finals, winning three rings as a crucial piece of every championship team. His team success was the primary selling point for his inclusion on the league’s anniversary team — something Thompson bemoaned in the aftermath of his exclusion.
“Woke up this AM, still pissed about this stupid ass list,” Thompson wrote in his Instagram story via his official account. “Ga damn I can’t wait to hoop again. Sick of the disrespect. Winning isn’t everything to some people like it is to me I guess.”
Aside from Lillard, who has never appeared in an NBA Finals, there were 10 other inclusions on the NBA’s top-75 list who are still playing in the league. They include in alphabetical order: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Carmelo Anthony, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, James Harden, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook.
Anthony, Harden, Paul and Westbrook are also absent NBA titles.
Dubs’ Teammates Rib Thompson Following Exclusion
While Thompson was initially perturbed by his exclusion from the team, he got past his anger and disappointment relatively quickly. Though, he didn’t do it alone.
Nick Friedell, of ESPN, published an article on Saturday, October 23 detailing how several of Thompson’s teammates helped make light of the situation with a good-natured prank.
“Before Saturday’s practice, some of Thompson’s teammates hung a No. 77 jersey in his locker,” Friedell wrote. “Golden State forward Draymond Green posted two short videos on his Instagram stories of the jersey hanging in Thompson’s locker and then another video of Thompson sporting the jersey while walking around the Warriors’ weight room.”
The No. 77 was significant, as the NBA 75th Anniversary Team actually included 76 names due to one tie.
“I didn’t know what it meant, at first,” Golden State head coach Steve Kerr told Friedell. “And then somebody explained it. I thought that was quite, quite funny.”
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