Mar 27, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) shoots a jump shot during the second half against Portland Trail Blazers forward Kris Murray (24) at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Mar 27, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) shoots a jump shot during the second half against Portland Trail Blazers forward Kris Murray (24) at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson was recently on stream with PlaqueBoyMax, where they discussed various topics from all walks of life. While the NBA star did not make any major announcements, he took the time to reflect on his past, build his Mount Rushmore, and answer some questions from chat about his unique experience.
One of the more interesting bits came when he was asked about his relationship with former teammates. While most fans were expecting Thompson to name Stephen Curry, he actually revealed Draymond Green as the one he was closest to during his historic stint with the Warriors.
“I say Draymond just because we are the same age,” Klay said. “We went through everything together. Steph is more like a big brother and role model to me because he’s two years older than me. He’s an incredible family man. We’re the same age, and we’ve been through everything together,” Klay added. “We were teammates for 13 seasons, and we would hang out a lot off the court, play a lot of dominoes, he got on my boat. But it’s probably Dray with Steph a close second.”
Klay and Steph were the face of the Warriors dynasty. They started together, came up together, and eventually dominated together to form the greatest shooting backcourt in NBA history. And yet, for Thompson, Curry was more like a big brother than his best friend. That role belonged to Draymond Green, who serves as the Warriors’ enforcer and defensive anchor on the court.
They are roughly the same age and played similar roles as co-stars under Steph. Critically, Klay says they hung out all the time off the court, a clear sign that they were more than just teammates. While Thompson did not end up staying in Golden State, it likely had nothing to do with Draymond, who was actually happy to see him leave a miserable situation.
Unfortunately, Thompson has struggled to find success in the years since his Warriors’ departure. With averages of 11.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game last season, he’s a shell of his former self, no doubt at least partially due to his extensive injury history. In his chat with PlaqueBoyMax on stream today, he described the rehab process and what made it so challenging for his specific setbacks.
“ACL’s tough because you lose a lot of muscle mass in your quad. And then the comeback is a lot of single-leg squats, it’s a lot of squatting, it’s a lot of muscle atrophy,” said Thompson. “But the Achilles is a whole different beast. Shout out to all the guys in the league who went through that. It’s really a beast to come back from because you have to be in a cast for the first few months. Just like the quad, the muscle atrophy in your calf is crazy. It’s so hard to build that up again, and it’s so tedious. You just have to do calf raises all day. But with the technology now and the advances in medical science, you could come back.”
After what he’s been through, Klay may never be the same again, but it’s a miracle that he’s even come back at all. Suffering two major injuries in such a short span should have ended his NBA tenure, but Klay deserves credit for working his way back and continuing his career.
In the end, it’s hard to know what we can expect from Klay Thompson next season, or where he will play amid all the rumors. But after fighting so hard to return to action, what better way to end than in the place where it all began? For Thompson, that’s back on the Warriors, besides Steph Curry and his all-time favorite teammate, Draymond Green.