“You Want Me to Bench Me?”: Klay Thompson Quips at Reporter After Being Asked About Steve Kerr’s Patience During Slow Start

Despite a remarkable pre-season, the Golden State Warriors have struggled to find consistency throughout the opening month of the regular season. Amidst the concerns over the off-form of the team’s two starters, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins, head coach Steve Kerr has shown patience in the process. Yet, the doubts reached a point that Klay had to address publicly during his latest post-practice conference.

Ahead of the crucial In-Season Tournament encounter against the Sacramento Kings, he answered questions about his inclusion in the starting lineup, as can be seen in a video uploaded by Warriors on NBCS.

“You want me to bench me?” he mockingly replied before adding, “Or bench Wiggs?”. 

The shooting guard still acknowledged the concern as he admired coach Kerr for showcasing faith in him, stating, “Thanks, Steve, I guess.”

The 33-year-old displayed faith in his abilities as he focused on his achievements in the Bay Area. Highlighting the winning history of the core group, he claimed to be deserving of such treatment from the management. “Sometimes you earn these things like patience and time to find yourself. I think history is on our side when it comes to that stuff,” Klay added.

“You want me to bench me?”

Klay Thompson got spicy when asked about Steve Kerr’s patience sticking with the same starters pic.twitter.com/1Qb4GaSy9l

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 28, 2023

The reporter still persisted with his approach, hinting at a growing frustration amongst the viewers because of his rough start to the campaign. The 4x champion promptly answered, “I don’t care what people say,” as he mentioned, “They don’t do what we do. They can’t do what we do. That’s why they talk”. He stood firm on his stance, repeating, “I don’t care what people say at this point in my life.”

What is next for Klay Thompson?

Despite the win in the last match, the Dubs are in 10th position on the Western Conference table with a record of 8-9. During a stretch between the second and third week of this month, they lost six consecutive matches. The changes in the roster and rotations have affected them majorly.

Yet, their performances in the last few matches have instilled hope amongst the San Francisco faithful. Klay has been a highlight in the last three games as the 5x All-Star shot 14/29 from the deep. His season average points tally has also sharply increased during this phase.

All in all, Thompson seemed to have shaken off his rustiness by this stage of the campaign. Thus, the Warriors supporters can only hope for their Splash Brother to continue this exciting rise in form for the rest of their season. As for the rest, the Warriors will have their defensive stronghold in Draymond Green back tomorrow. It’ll be worth watching if his return can provide Warriors with the spark they’ve been missing.