Klay Thompson finally accepts the harsh truth Warriors never believed he'd embrace

Klay Thompson was trapped in the matrix. Everything he thought he knew to be true was merely an illusion. But his recent 360 shows a player ready to embrace this reality and his new role off the bench in Dallas. This surprising change of heart has got the blood pumping again, and a motivated Thompson is prepared to tackle the rest of the season with the Mavericks. He hopes. But the Warriors fans have to be scratching their heads at this. "Game 6 Klay” has officially become sixth man Klay.

Thompson’s postgame press conference after Wednesday’s game shows a changed man. Despite losing 123-114 to the Phoenix Suns, Thompson led the team with 19 points in a season-high 31 minutes. He also had a season-high 17 field goal attempts. Thompson seemed visibly happy with the extra minutes on the floor and eager to build on his momentum. “At the end of the day, I played 30 minutes in the NBA, year 15. I’m just trying to be out there as much as I possibly can”. He echoed those sentiments, saying, “It’s such an honor and privilege to be out there.”

This is a changed man singing a different tune. This doesn’t sound like someone who wants to be traded. This is someone who sees the light at the end of the tunnel. The lightbulb turned on. But why all of a sudden? Is it the recent trade chatter? Is it the whispers of his untimely demise?

Klay Thompson has learned how fragile an NBA career can be

My mother told me the only constant in this life is change, and that we have to learn to embrace it or risk being left behind. Thompson is learning this in real time. He now finds himself in the same position that he tried to avoid in Golden State—deja vu at its finest.

What’s changed is that Thompson has lived a little longer now. He’s been through more ups and downs in a short time span. He sees how fragile an NBA career can be. How stability can be taken for granted. And his blossoming relationship off the floor (with Megan Thee Stallion) has probably given him pause and much to consider in the long-term scheme of things.

Thompson’s about-face could also be out of necessity. It could be an innate sense of self-preservation for his career. Either way, I think it’s a step in the right direction. He's finally come to terms with his basketball mortality.

Two years ago, Thompson scoffed at the notion of coming off the bench. This was sacrilege! Had people forgotten who he was? He was a proud Splash Brother. The best shooter on the planet outside of Stephen Curry. He literally put his body on the line for his teammates in the 2019 NBA Finals and felt the Warriors should have afforded him a certain cachet and compensation for his troubles.

Golden State didn’t see it that way, and Thompson chose to exit stage left. Coming to Dallas was supposed to allow Thompson to reinvent himself. A fresh start. A rebirth. But alas, Nico Harrison decided to go nuclear and trade Luka Doncic and tie Thompson’s hands behind his back in the process.

There were no splashes. Just a shooting drought that has left the Dallas faithful parched and thirsty for just a glimpse of the player that he used to be. 

I surmise that Thompson has perused the NBA landscape and realizes the grass isn’t always greener. Many NBA legends before him have uprooted from their familiar surroundings only to experience basketball heartbreak at each subsequent stop. Thompson has always been someone who enjoys the simplicity of life while embracing familiarity on the court. 

He’s always moved to the beat of his own drum. The captain of his own ship. But this time, he might not want to rock the boat again. Not while he’s just getting his feet wet in his new sixth man role. Why tempt fate? Thompson seems eager to embrace his second act. Only time will tell if it’s time for his curtain call in Dallas. But fans in the Bay Area can’t help but feel just a little bit cheated.