Klay Thompson Reacts To Warriors Game 6 vs Lakers | May 12, 2023

Hey, Clay. Steve Kerr said that he still believes this team has championship potential. Draymond Green said he wants to return and wants to ride out with the same guys he rode in with. How much do you still believe in the core of this team having the potential to go all the way? I fully believe that. And it stings real bad. It's going to sting all summer. But I mean, the first time in a long time that Dray, Steph, and I were healthy and not making the finals. So it's rare to be off during this time of year. But I can tell you we gave it everything we had. And it just stings. But I mean, I believe that we have greatness in our future still. Clay, coming into this series, you said facing the Lakers. This is where your hoop dream started. Lots of time here in LA. What did you think about your road games here? Well, it was awesome playing in front of my dad and calling the game. I obviously wish I would've shot the ball much more efficiently. Probably had the worst shooting series I had in a long time. At the end of the day, though, I'm still on contract with the Dubs. And I'm going to use it for fuel to be better come next postseason. And it just sucks, you know, when you give it your all and sometimes it doesn't go the way you want. It's the hardest part of being a pro athlete. Here on the left-hand side. Clay, you mentioned your shooting. And Steph didn't shoot up to his standards during the last couple of games. How much did their size bother you guys, do you think? Not just the two of you, but overall, do you guys need to get bigger as you look forward? I'm not sure. It's hard for me to assess that right now. I mean, they played very well. Anthony Davis is a monster down there. And obviously, LeBron still got it. So it was just a tough series for us. And like I said before, unfamiliar territory being off this time of year. But I know we still got greatness ahead of us. And we just got to use this offseason to get right mentally, physically, and just improve on our weaknesses. This wasn't just like an abrupt playoff ending. You guys kind of had a bumpy season all the way to this point. How much did all the challenges that came dating back to preseason all the way through add to, I guess, the challenge of the whole season? I mean, well, it definitely wasn't smooth sailing. Even for myself, I had a tough start to the year. Couldn't buy a bucket. Kind of ended the year on the same note. Pretty ironic. But I'm going to continue to work hard. And we did have a rocky season. I mean, it wasn't what we're accustomed to, as far as 67 wins, 73, mid-50s. Played for the sixth seed. We still gave ourselves a fighting chance. But I want to go to battle with any other guys. So I'm proud of everybody on this team. I'm real proud of Andrew Wiggins. I mean, he played with pretty much a broken rib tonight. Showed what he's about. And we would not be here without him. So just a tough one, man. Clay, obviously these games are really important for you. Do you feel like here in LA, did you feel like you were pressing at all just in this building being here? Or was it just shots weren't falling? I don't think I was pressing. I just think shots didn't fall. Even tonight, I got so many great looks. That's why it hurts. Especially early, got a lot of wide open looks. I don't know if that's fatigue, mental fatigue, when I was shooting it short. It's not the end of the road for me. I still know I have greatness ahead of me. This was the first full season in three years I've had to make it through, start to finish healthy. So that's a positive. And I know I'm going to come back even better next year. Hi, Clay. This wasn't a sweep. You guys won two games. And even won, you dominated some games. Can you explain the fluctuating scores? I can't. It's just hoops. Teams make adjustments. Certain guys step up. We just didn't have it tonight. Clay, obviously, fall short. How do you get better just generally as a team to get back to where you've been? And how much are you looking for these young players? Do they have to fill larger roles next season? Well, you come to camp next year in the best shape you possibly can. You come with a fresh mind and the goal of winning a championship. And as far as our young guys, it's a huge summer for them, just like it is our vets. Maintaining our physical health for them, it's just about improving their game. I mean, that's for all young players in the NBA. It's about adding something every offseason. So we're going to be dependent on them. And that's just the natural progression of team basketball is just strength in numbers. Certain guys got to step up. Nice. Thanks, Clay. Appreciate that. We're done in here.