Respect and friendship still exist between Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson today after their long tenure together. Thompson left the Golden State Warriors in NBA free agency a few years ago, but the Splash Brothers have remained close friends. Thompson visited Golden State last night for the first time as a member of the Miami Heat and suffered a one-sided loss.
However, it was all love after the game for Klay. Curry was praised by Thompson for still being one of the top superstars in the league after all this time:
“What Steph is doing…as his teammate, I got to see it every night & it became normal but to see it as an opponent, it’s incredible…it’s all the respect in the world for him. He deserves all the accolades and money. He’s 1 of 1 & the game is going to miss him when he hangs it up.”
Many around the league have taken notice of Curry’s incredible start to the season. Outside of rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, the Warriors did little to improve the roster from last season’s failure. However, Curry is leading the unlikely team of role players to success in the deep Western Conference after a strong 2+ weeks to open the season.
Stephen Curry & Klay Thompson Facing Similar Concerns
Aging is always a difficult thing in sports, but today’s NBA landscape sees legends lasting longer than previous eras. LeBron James and Kevin Durant are witnessing historic levels of longevity that prove technology and hard work can prolong careers.
Curry is joining that list after he started the season looking as good as his prime seasons a decade ago. Thompson has shown that injuries and aging can limit great players of recent seasons compared to his prime. Draymond Green is closer to Klay’s story than Steph’s with his poor start to the season.
Every NBA player will have to figure out how to stay in the league. Thompson marveled at Curry still scoring 30 points per game and now getting the most out of lackluster talent. The Warriors still are without Jimmy Butler, but Curry has led them to an impressive 6-3 start against all odds.
Can Stephen Curry Enter MVP Race?
One interesting story for Curry’s start is that he can create an MVP narrative if this continues. Unfortunately for Curry, both Luka Doncic and Victor Wembanyama are the strong favorites who are expected to continue their dominance all season.
Curry will have to navigate injuries as an older player and continue overachieving for overall team success. The feel-good story could make Curry a viable MVP contender, but he must continue at this incredible pace all season. Losing Kristaps Porzingis as his best offensive teammate before the season felt like rock bottom for Golden State.
Steve Kerr and Curry have found a way to get the best out of this roster, but it involves Curry putting up 25 to 30 points every night. Thompson is right to praise Curry for still having this much left in the tank. However, the MVP race will be extremely hard, and Curry remains a massive underdog.
Klay Thompson Had Touching Message For Stephen Curry’s Play