The Thunder got off to a strong start, holding a five-point lead at half-time and an eight-point cushion entering the fourth quarter. Even though they trailed, the Warriors never allowed Oklahoma City to pull away. In the final period, Golden State surged to a massive finish, defeating the Thunder 108-101. Every time the home team threatened to run away with it, the Warriors had an answer. His name was Klay Thompson.
With the entire season on the line, the sharpshooter exploded for 41 points, knocking down 11 three-pointers - an NBA playoff record at the time. He scored 19 points in the fourth quarter alone, outscoring the entire Thunder team by one point. His final basket came with 1:23 remaining, extending the Warriors’ lead and helping seal the victory. It remains one of the most iconic playoff performances in NBA history.
Thompson still was not satisfied.
“I should have had at least 13 because I missed some wide-open looks early,” said Thompson right after the game.
Golden State’s head coach, Steve Kerr, had a different opinion. “Obviously, Klay Thompson was ridiculous. I mean, the shooting was some of the most incredible shooting you'll ever see.”
Thompson grew up in California, and basketball has always been in his blood. His father, Mychal, was the number one pick in the 1978 NBA Draft. He played for the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs, before going to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won two championships.
Klay had the same dream - making it to the NBA and winning. He played three seasons of collegiate basketball at Washington State, where he set multiple school records and earned numerous honors. The school retired his No. 1 jersey in 2020, making Thompson just the second men’s basketball player in Washington State history to receive that honor.
After leading the Pac-10 in scoring as a junior, Thompson declared for the NBA Draft. The Golden State Warriors selected the shooting guard with the 11th overall pick.
Birth of a dynasty
The standout took his on-point shooting skills to the next level and quickly became a consistent piece of the Warriors’ rotation. He started his rookie season coming off the bench but became a starter in March.
From there, Thompson never looked back. He was voted to the NBA All-Rookie First Team after finishing the year with 12.5 points while shooting 41.4 % from beyond the arc. Thompson kept improving and transformed himself into a franchise staple.
On October 31, 2024, Thompson signed a four-year, $70 million contract extension, and put an exclamation point behind his signing by scoring a then-career-high 41 points the next day.
It was like the signing unlocked a new level of his game: unleashed a new beast. It was a sign of what was coming. Thompson was becoming more than a promising young shooter - he was becoming one of the league’s most dangerous weapons.
In 2014-15, Thompson’s numbers continued to rise, but more importantly, Golden State posted a franchise-record 67-15 regular-season mark. The Warriors claimed the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and entered the playoffs as legitimate championship contenders.
But Thompson’s arrival in Golden State sparked much more than wins and franchise growth. He paired with superstar Stephen Curry to create one of the most iconic duos in basketball history - the Splash Brothers. Their ability to consistently and accurately knock down shots from deep became notorious. They didn’t just entertain fans and torch opponents; they helped transform the game of basketball.
The Splash Brothers changed the way the world viewed three-point shooting. They showcased that teams could build an elite offense around constant movement, deep three-point shooting, and spacing rather than relying primarily on post play or mid-range scoring.
The style stretches the defense away from the rim and beyond the three-point line, forcing it to always be on alert and moving. Their success helped spark the modern three-point revolution, influencing coaches and players at every level to embrace perimeter shooting, pace, spacing, and positionless basketball.
In the 2014-2015 season, the two combined for 525 threes in a season, surpassing their previous record by 41 makes. The Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games to win the NBA championship and end a 40-year title drought. That year, Golden State turned into a dynasty that ruled the upcoming seasons.
On December 6, 2016, Thompson scored a career-high 60 points against the Indiana Pacers. He achieved this mark in just three quarters, as he didn’t appear in the last one. If you think that ball didn’t leave Thompson’s hands all game long and he put up a stunning highlight reel full of one-on-one moves and finishes, you’re wrong.
That night, Thompson put up one of the most efficient performances in NBA history. He held the ball for a total of just 88.4 seconds, and dribbled 11 times during the entire contest. 11. He was 21-for-33 from the field, 8-for-14 from three-point range, and 10-for-11 on free throws. An absolute showstopper and one of the clearest examples of what made Klay Thompson so special.
Overcoming adversity
In 2016, Golden State made it back to the Finals. Despite taking a 3-1 lead, the Warriors were stunned by the Cleveland Cavaliers, led by LeBron James. But the team bounced back, winning back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018.
In 2019, the Warriors made another Finals appearance, this time facing the Toronto Raptors. Toronto held a 3-2 series lead, but Golden State fought to stay alive and force a Game 7. Then, disaster struck. Thompson tore his ACL in the third quarter. The injury ended his season, and shortly after, so did Golden State’s championship run, as the Warriors lost the game and the series.
Thompson missed the entire 2019-20 season while recovering from the knee injury. Just as he was nearing his return, another devastating setback came. In November 2020, Thompson tore his Achilles during a pickup game in Los Angeles. Another blow and a significant injury that sidelined him for an additional season.
Overall, Thompson was out for two and a half years before he returned to the hardwood in January 2022.
Back on top
Many questioned whether the sharpshooter would ever return to his previous form and regain his lightning-quick release. Thompson proved the doubters wrong. He appeared in 32 regular-season games, averaging 20.4 points while shooting 38.5% from downtown.
More importantly, he helped Golden State reach the NBA Finals once again. The Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics in six games, giving Thompson his fourth championship ring. In Game 1 of the Finals, he also passed LeBron James for second place on the NBA’s all-time playoff three-pointers list.
The fourth title marked the peak of the dynasty. Thompson continued to play at a high level, but the Warriors didn’t achieve another deep playoff run. In February 2024, Thompson came off the bench for the first time since 2012. It was apparent that things were not working out as smoothly as they used to.
Golden State fought for the playoffs in the play-in game, but lost to the Sacramento Kings 118-94. In a do-or-die scenario, and also what happened to be Thompson’s last game as a Warrior, he scored zero points and was 0-for-10 from the field.
After 13 years in the Bay, Thompson sought a change. He signed with the Dallas Mavericks via a historic six-team sign-and-trade move. In Dallas, he was supposed to form a superteam with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, but it never worked out. Doncic was traded in February 2025, and Irving tore his ACL a month later.
The squad never fulfilled its potential. Thompson spent last season mostly as a reserve, as he only started 8 out of the 69 games he appeared in. He averaged multiple career lows - in scoring (11.7 points), three-point percentage (38.3 %), free-throw percentage (76.6 %), rebounds (2.1), and assists (1.4).
Once again, many thought that the basketball fate of the 36-year-old shooting guard was sealed. His prime was gone. He’s not who he used to be. Retirement was knocking on his door.
Shot at redemption
But Thompson isn’t done - not yet. On August 23, 2026, shocking news rocked the NBA: Klay Thompson has agreed to a buyout with the Mavericks and signed a two-year, $11.5 million deal with the Miami Heat.
The franchise has undergone major roster changes. Earlier in the offseason, Miami acquired Greek superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis from Milwaukee in exchange for Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, Kasparas Jakucionis, and multiple draft picks.
Herro had been Miami’s primary knockdown shooter, so after his departure, the Heat needed another reliable weapon from beyond the arc. And if you need a pure shooter, there are few better choices than Thompson.
“Klay is one of the most iconic players to ever suit up in the NBA,” said Heat President Pat Riley. “A four-time battle-tested World Champion who will fit perfectly into his role as an all-around player at both ends of the court. We all talk about his shooting skill, but there is so much more he brings to the game. We are blessed that Klay chose the Heat in our quest to challenge for championships.”
Miami already has a proven championship core. Alongside Antetokounmpo and Thompson is Bam Adebayo, one of the league’s premier two-way centers. In March 2026, Adebayo made NBA history by scoring 83 points against the Washington Wizards - the second-highest single-game total in league history, behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 and ahead of Kobe Bryant’s 81.
With Antetokounmpo’s playmaking and power, Adebayo’s defense and Thompson’s shooting, the Heat suddenly have a frightening combination of talent and experience. Thompson also brings something that cannot be taught: a winning pedigree. He has already climbed basketball’s highest mountain four times. There’s nothing he wants more than going out in style and with another championship.
Thompson enters Miami with 2,899 career three-pointers, fourth all-time. He is just 74 threes behind Ray Allen for third place. Allen, of course, is a former Heat legend who delivered one of the most iconic shots in NBA history - a clutch, game-tying three-pointer against the Spurs in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals. Will Thompson do the same?
