The last couple of years has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride for Klay Thompson coming off back-to-back career-threatening injuries. Nonetheless, the Warriors guard’s perseverance and passion for the game didn’t let him derail, scripting one of the greatest comebacks in recent times.
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However, it wasn’t as easy as it seemed, with Thompson continuing to get off the rust attained post missing 941 days of NBA action. An ACL tear followed by an Achilles rupture is the worst nightmare for any pro athlete, something that happened to Klay during his prime.
Thompson couldn’t have scripted a better return, winning his fourth title in eight years. Though the Warriors guard appeared sluggish on the court, given his dipping numbers, he did have a couple of noteworthy moments during the 2022 playoffs.
Coming off a championship season, the Warriors haven’t looked their best, struggling to win games, leading to many questioning Thompson’s diminishing numbers.
Meanwhile, Thompson felt fans and critics were being unjust to him. Nevertheless, the 32-year-old’s recent performances have things turning in his favor as he cites taking a break from social media.
Klay Thompson admits falling prey to the toxicity of social media.
One of the most loved NBA players, Thompson enjoys a healthy social media following, often engaging with his fans. During his sabbatical, the four-time champion would often post about his boat rides along the shores of Alcatraz island, followed by his bonding sessions with pet dog Rocco.
At the time, Thompson became social media’s darling, not realizing how the dynamics could change overnight. Fast forward to today, Instagram and Twitter have become sources of toxicity for the Warriors guard, given the scrutiny surrounding his performances off-late.
Nevertheless, Thompson seems to have learned from his mistake, shedding light on the situation recently, admitting to his constant inclination to see what people spoke or wrote about him.
“I don’t know what I was thinking, in my 12th year in this league – like I haven’t been through this before – but I just had a moment of weakness,” said Thompson. “I’ve just learned to focus on the games and the weekly gaze, not look too far ahead, and you’ll enjoy the run so much more. And that’s what I’ve been doing these last couple weeks, rather than after a game, going on social media checking your mentions.”
“Whether it’s great or bad, it’s just not good.”
“We’re all human and we care what people think about our games,” said the 32-year-old. “Not necessarily us, personally, but we take pride in our game, our strengths, our weaknesses, and sometimes it hurts when you put in so much effort to be great and people criticize you.”
“But that is the nature of the beast when you’re a professional athlete. And the quicker you understand that the better off you’re going to be.”
When asked if his social media hiatus has helped him dump the slump, Thompson said the following.
“Absolutely,” he said. “That’s a direct correlation. When you just come to work every day happy to be an athlete and put this uni on, and you don’t pay attention to the noise, you’re just playing with such a free mind. And that’s the key to success right there, just being able to flow and play for the love of the game.”
“I have so much more time on my hands. “I’m not on social media looking at the comments. I really learned if you lurk, you’re going to get hurt. Try it. Relay that message to the young bucks, because we play in a time when everybody’s opinion is so accessible. And players back in the day, you might have to look at some news articles talking about your play, but not on four different social-media platforms. I just learned to spend my time better.”
“That’s not on them. It’s on me for looking.”
Via: Warriors on NBCS
The former 3-point contest winner’s latest numbers suggest the social media detox has been doing him good.
Klay Thompson’s performances over the last 3-games.
To Dub Nation’s delight, Thompson seems to be returning to his old self, if his stat line is anything to go by. The Warriors guard has averaged 26.3 PPG on 55.1% shooting from the field, including 56.7% from the 3-point line in the last 3 games.
From what it seems, Thompson may plan to extend his social media hiatus.
