Klay Thompson touches on Charles Barkley’s hurtful comments about the Warriors’ veteran guard not being the same player since his injuries two seasons ago.
Steph Curry quickly came to the defense of his Warriors teammate Klay Thompson on Thursday following Golden State’s 123-110 victory over the Miami Heat.
From the Chase Center podium, the reigning NBA Finals MVP took aim at comments about Thompson made earlier in the week by “Inside the NBA” analyst Charles Barkley, subtly roasting him in the process.
“The comments are part of our success … And when you say certain names, people are going to pay attention,” Curry told reporters after Thursday’s win. “But it’s interesting because certain guys forget what their careers looked like on the back end.
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“So you can kind of cast and throw those stones, but Klay’s still in here, like you said, helping us win a championship after the two hellish years that he had.”
Barkley -- undoubtedly one of the “certain guys” Curry mentioned -- said Tuesday after the Warriors’ near 30-point loss to the Phoenix Suns that Thompson and Draymond Green's ages might be starting to show on the court.
In Barkley’s words, Thompson’s performance is “slipping,” and he isn’t the same player he was before suffering two major leg injuries in 2019 and 2020.
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“There was a time when Klay Thompson was the best two-way guard in the NBA, and he’s not the same guy and that’s because of injuries,” Barkley said. “Is he done? No, I don’t think he’s done. I think he’s slowing down and it’s catching up with him, that’s why he’s frustrated.”
After Thursday’s win, Thompson called out Barkley for his comments and said they hurt his heart.
“So, it hurts when someone like Charles Barkley, with the platform that he has, says you're not the same player prior to the injuries you had. It's like, 'No, duh, man,' ” Thompson told reporters. “... I tore my ACL and Achilles in consecutive years and still helped the team win a championship. It hurt hearing that because I put so much freaking effort to get back to this point.
“It's hard to even put into words what I had to do to be the player I am today.”
Despite 11 All-Star appearances and one league MVP award to his name, Barkley never won a championship in 16 seasons. Known as one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history, injuries slowed Barkley down considerably in his later years.
Ultimately, Barkley’s career came to an end in 2000 after rupturing the quadriceps tendon in his left knee while playing for the Houston Rockets. He did return for one final game four months later, where he scored a single basket and retired on the spot.
It goes without saying that Barkley understands the ups and downs that come with injuries and age.
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And in Curry’s eyes, Thompson is handling both just fine. After being ejected from the Suns game after scoring just two points, the 32-year-old rebounded with a 19-point performance against the Heat.
“And now, it’s just balancing, for [Thompson], the expectations of what he was before the injuries, and what he can get back to, all the while maintaining his impact on winning,” Curry said. “... But when you come off a championship, you have such a hunger and a desire to get back to what he wants to be personally. And he’s going to get there.
“It’s just a matter of sticking with the program, the time that he puts in. His competitive fire that comes out every single night. And he’s going to make shots. We’re not worried about that. It’s a long season.”
