Klay Thompson’s Open Run With Oliver Xu Gets Clowned On By NBA Fans

It’s around this time of the year that NBA players escape their much-deserved vacation spots and head back to the gym. Klay Thompson did just that over the weekend as he took part in pro runs being held in Irvine, California. Videos from the pro runs have gone viral online, and fans claim that Thompson looks washed in the clips. They even called out the Mavericks for signing Klay, questioning why Dallas would sign a player who is clearly past his prime.

Klay Thompson was recently seen working out with popular NBA skills coach Jordan Lawley at his gym in LA. Lawley put Thompson through a set of workouts over the days and seemingly ended the duo’s time together by inviting Thompson to play at his pro run over the weekend. Klay obliged and even donned his Mavericks jersey for the first time in a game setting. But Thompson didn’t have the best outing in his debut showing with the blue and white jersey, as clips from the matches went viral soon after.

In one of these videos, we can see Klay being guarded by Hong Kong National Team player, Oliver Xu. While Thompson begins the run by making two tough threes, his matchup with Xu quickly turns one-sided. On one play the 27-year-old sensation even fakes out Thompson and punches a dunk on him. Not only that, the 6’2 shooting guard also does a good job of locking down Klay, making him miss shots that we have seen Thompson make even in clutch situations before. All in all, it wasn’t a good showing for Thompson, and fans let him hear about it online.

Taking to X, one user reacted to a post, which showed Thompson’s lackluster performance from Saturday’s runs. The user wrote, “Klay Thompson is so washed. Mavs are cooked, im crine.”

Another user wrote, “You was begging for him 3 weeks ago btw”, seemingly addressing Mavericks fans

However one user came to Klay’s rescue, pointing out that, “Even on his last legs, he’s an upgrade over [ Tim] Hardaway”

The videos surfacing online seemed to be coming from Oliver Xu’s Tik-Tok channel and were edited to portray a limited reality of what happened in those runs. The entire footage from those matches is available on Jlaw’s YouTube channel and just a single viewing is enough to make most hoop fans understand how high-level the Jlaw Pro Runs are. Add to the fact that Thompson was probably going at 50 percent pace and power, and one can understand how a 6’2 guard like Xu could even catch Thompson on the wing.

At game speed and Klay trying his hardest, it’s tough to imagine how Xu or any other player at these runs can check Thompson. But with Klay being viewed as an integral signing for the Mavericks going forward, it’s undoubtedly not wise for Thompson to risk injury months before his debut season with Dallas kicks off. Two years ago, we saw Chet Holmgren sit out his rookie year due to an injury he sustained during a Pro-Am run, and it’s safe to say that Klay isn’t interested in going under the knife for the third time in his professional career.

The first two injuries took place during Klay’s stint with Golden State. But Thompson worked hard and came back stronger, even winning the 2022 NBA championship in his path to redemption.

Moreover, winning a championship surely helped Klay gain back a lot of his confidence, and he seems to have kept much of it. In his debut press conference as a Maverick, Klay addressed the naysayers and revealed how, despite his age, it wouldn’t be wise to count him out. He further added,

“At this point in my career, I mean, you still can’t leave me open.”

Thompson should ideally fit perfectly alongside Kyrie and Doncic. The duo has already learned how to work off each other, and with them on the floor, Klay is bound to get at least a dozen good looks a game.