Recalling Klay Thompson’s Emotional Warriors Return, Ryan Coogler Reveals How 4x NBA Champion Made It Special

When the Golden State Warriors were at the height of their powers in 2015–16, they created countless memories for their fans. They posted the best regular-season record in NBA history (73–9) and came back from a 3–1 deficit in the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. For their sake, we won’t mention how the Finals ended. You’re welcome, Dub Nation.

One of the stars of that iconic Warriors team was Klay Thompson, one of the greatest shooters of all time. And according to Ryan Coogler, it was Klay who delivered the most memorable moment.

Coogler has had quite the year, directing the hit movie Sinners. Still, he found time to visit his old favorite Warrior. He recently spoke about it on the 7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony podcast, revealing that in November last year, he attended Thompson’s first game back in the Bay Area since joining the Dallas Mavericks. It was special.

“We pulled up to Klay’s first game back when he went to Dallas, and they got us all his boating captain hats. The whole stadium was cheering. And Klay, to know Klay, you know he’s emotional, but one of his things is to be ice cold,” Coogler told Anthony.

At first, the director didn’t know if Klay would recognize him, but it wasn’t long before he was hugging his friend and showing some love. It sounded like a moment that Coogler will cherish forever. The Warriors went on to win the game 120-117, spoiling Klay’s return, but the sharpshooter had 22 points and made 6 threes, so the fans got to see their old star in his element.

However, Coogler then admitted that his best memory of Thompson did in fact come in 2016, when “Game 6 Klay” was at his very best. It was a treat for sore eyes.

“Me and Zinzi [wife] were at Game 6 in OKC, we flew to Oklahoma. And he did what he did,” he admitted. 

Klay torched the Thunder, scoring 41 points in an elimination game, draining 11 threes, and shooting just under 50%. Curry added another 31 in the Warriors’ 108-101 victory, forcing a Game 7 back at Oracle Arena, which they won to set up a Finals date with LeBron James‘ Cleveland Cavaliers.

It was one of the best performances ever seen on the verge of a season ending, especially considering the Dubs had the 73-win record on the line.

For Coogler, he’s just happy to afford the tickets and be part of Klay’s journey. He knows Thompson appreciates it too — he wouldn’t have come over and shown him love this past year otherwise.

It just goes to show how likable Klay has been to the Golden State community. He always kept a positive attitude, minded his business, and did his job effectively. In 11 seasons with the Warriors, he played in almost 800 games. While he was never quite the same after his ACL and Achilles tears, he still provided quality minutes for the team, winning another title in 2022 before ultimately leaving for Dallas.