Klay Thompson is one of the greatest shooters in NBA history. He is also a sure-fire future Hall of Famer. So his takes carry legitimate weight in NBA circles. On Friday, he was asked who has been the most difficult player to guard throughout his professional career.
His answer?
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“LeBron [James],” Thompson said on a Twitch stream.
Klay Thompson said LeBron James is the most difficult player he’s had to guard throughout his NBA career. AP
“We saw him for four straight Finals, and I haven’t seen anyone control the game as well as he does. He can do everything on the court. He has no weaknesses.”
Thompson and the Golden State Warriors faced James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in every NBA Finals from 2015 through 2018. It was an era of dominance for both teams in their respective conferences.
While James never quite had a supporting cast as strong as Steph Curry’s team, the 41-year-old managed to overtake the Warriors in 2016. The thrilling seven-game series resulted in one of the biggest moments of James’ basketball legacy, cementing the forward as one of the greatest players in NBA history.
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LeBron helped the Cavs become the first team in NBA Finals history to win a title after trailing 3-1 in the series. And he did it against the team with the greatest regular-season record (73-9) in NBA history.
Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry established themselves as the best shooting duo in NBA history. Getty Images
The former Warriors star is currently entering the final year of his contract with the Dallas Mavericks.
Though no longer with the Warriors, the 36-year-old is one of the best players to compete for the franchise. Thompson helped Golden State reach six NBA Finals, winning four of them.
Thompson and Curry established themselves as the greatest shooting duo in NBA history, known as the “Splash Brothers.”
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Through 11 seasons, the veteran shooting guard has averaged 19.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 0.9 steals while shooting 45.3% from the field and 41.3 % from beyond the arc in 793 games. Thompson missed two full seasons, 2019-20 and 2020-21, with a torn ACL and Achilles.
Draymond Green, left, Klay Thompson, middle, and Stephen Curry celebrate winning the NBA Finals in June. NBAE via Getty Images
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