Klay Thompson has settled in Dallas and is looking forward to the 2024-25 season. But narratives surrounding his exit from the Golden State Warriors continue. Since the start of the last season, rumors surrounding the 4x champion’s longevity with the Dubs have been loud. Although Klay tried to downplay it, the signs were too obvious to disregard them. And just like that, the era of the Splash Brothers ended. But not the tales.
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Now, we have got two former NBA stars who have their own rendition of what went down. And we will start with the latter, who happens to be none other than Gilbert Arenas. While the ex-Warriors star wasn’t downright sharp as his co-host, Arenas believes that Steph Curry’s compliance with Coach Kerr’s decision to bench Klay may have been a factor for the less-than-pleasant exit.
“I can tell you that for you to take a starter out of his position, there has to be a meeting, okay? We have to be agreed to this s—,” Agent Zero stated. “The reason is this: we’re used to playing a certain way. So you’re just not going to go on game day and then there’s going to be a whole new starting five, right? … That f—- the chemistry up.”
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“So that means they had some practices already where Klay wasn’t starting… Or they had to have a conversation with Draymond Green, staff, and the other four, say, ‘Yeah, we going to try something different.’ So there was a warning… a lead-up to it to make everybody comfortable with the move,” Gil reasoned.
Of course, there’s no evidence that proves this is what happened. Benching a player, even a long-time starter, falls under the discretion of a coach. Meaning that there is no particular rule that states a coach cannot, in fact, bench players without notifying them. But as Arenas pointed out, the discussion, if it happens, is more of a matter of team communication or respect for the players.
Hence, while it’s common practice to discuss significant changes with veterans, by no means is it a formal regulation or obligation on part of the coach. If you remember, in the 2022 Lakers vs Pacers Game 2, then-coach Frank Vogel benched Russell Westbrook for the final 3:52. Needless to say, the 2017 MVP was highly critical of the sudden change. You get the idea, right?
Going back, what did our “other” NBA star have to say on the subject?
Ex-Minnesota star accuses Curry, Green being dismissive of Klay Thompson’s struggles
“I feel like nobody had his back,” Rashad McCants said woefully of Thompson’s situation. When Jennings asked if the whole drama was due to the disagreement on money, McCants looked furious. “Podziemski went in and started over you, bro! They had you coming off the bench, bro!” he emphasized, making sure the guys understood how disrespectful it would have felt to Klay Thompson.
He also added that had Steph wanted to, he could have prevented it. When Brandon Jennings asked how much of a say Curry had in the matter, Rashad said, “A lot! He has leverage.”
This was one of the league’s best three-point shooters, a cornerstone of the Warriors dynasty, grinding and working hard from the get go to turn the franchise into what it is today. While the emotions behind McCants’ words do make sense, Kerr had basically spoken the raw truth on many occasions, leading up to their 46-36 record.
Ultimately, as a coach, the priority would be to get wins. And difficult decisions are part of it. At the time, Klay Thompson ended up being the recipient of what might be seen as harsh. Well, do you think these two men have a point? Or would you rather turn that chapter and focus on the brand new Mavs vs Warriors thriller? Let us know in the comments.
