NBA Rumors: Klay Thompson Stepping Aside For Kevin Durant And Golden State Warriors
Putting together a super NBA team is a bit more complicated in real life than in video games. Someone is going to have to make a major sacrifice. According to ESPN, Klay Thompson appears to be the one to step aside so that Kevin Durant can help the Warriors win another championship.
When Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh decided to get together with the Miami Heat, many fans were excited at the prospect of three NBA superstars joining forces. Many failed to understand that all three were not going to be putting up superstar numbers, as that is not a realistic thing.
Dirk Nowitzki was able to bring an NBA Championship to the Dallas Mavericks for the first and only time because Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh were not able to develop chemistry immediately. The Miami Heat underestimated how difficult it is for superstar players to sacrifice their stats for a common goal.
See what @KDTrey5, @KlayThompson & @Money23Green have been up to at #USABMNT training camp » https://t.co/131MPl4jw1 pic.twitter.com/EngCMphk88
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) July 20, 2016
Once Chris Bosh realized that he would need to transition from being a franchise player to being a role player, the Miami Heat started winning NBA Championships. The six-foot-11 center started focusing more on defense and less on offense, which enabled his team to become the dominant force that they were meant to be.
When longtime Minnesota Timberwolves franchise player Kevin Love joined up with Kyrie Irving and LeBron James to form a super team with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chris Bosh sent a warning about the sacrifice that would need to take place.
The Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA Championship, as reported by Yahoo Sports. They were finally able to beat Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Much of that was due to the fact that Kevin Love finally embraced being a role player so that Kyrie Irving and LeBron James could shine.
Having felt the pain of losing in the NBA Finals now, the Golden State Warriors decided that they needed to do something to gain the advantage back against the Cleveland Cavaliers. They pulled off quite the coup when they signed Kevin Durant, the biggest prize in free agency.
Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green are three of the best players in the NBA. They’re the reason why the Golden State Warriors were able to win 73 games this past season. Adding Kevin Durant to the roster gives them more talent, but history has proven that someone will need to step aside.
To his credit, Klay Thompson has publicly volunteered to be that guy. The second generation NBA star stated that he no longer cares about personal accomplishments. Thompson just wants to collect as many championship rings as he can before he retires. That means more to him than getting back to the All-Star game.
Steve Kerr has played a big part in getting Klay Thompson to accept a reduced role. Kerr was far from being a great player, but he will be forever remembered by NBA fans because he helped Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls win championships, which is the message that he relayed to Thompson.
Klay Thompson pointed Manu Ginobili as a role model. The San Antonio Spurs guard could have easily joined another NBA team in his career and put up tremendous numbers. However, Ginobili opted to take a reduced role and reduced pay so that he can compete for championships with the Spurs on a yearly basis.
Professional athletes frequently get bashed for being greedy and selfish. Klay Thompson is proving that there are some in the NBA who still care more about winning than anything else. Thompson is proving to be quite the role model.
[Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images]
