TIBURON (California) — The first thing Klay Thompson It is important to turn the music on before you do anything else: untie the docking cables from the bollards; throw the fenders onto deck; check the instruments and fuel tank.
He picks Michael Jackson nine times out of ten. But lately, it has been Burna Boy (Wizkid) and HoodCelebrityy. He’s trying to get back to the Afro-Dancehall player he was.
He’s feeling The Weeknd this morning.
It is coming. It’s coming, baby.
He is singing at 8 AM.
He is not speaking loudly as his neighbors in the sleepy Marin County town are still awakening, but loud enough for him to feel what he needs.
Thompson fell to the ground beneath the basket at Oracle Arena, Game 6, with a torn anteriorcruciate ligament. It has been almost three and a quarter years.
It has been two years since he injured his right Achilles tendon during a game of pick-up at a Los Angeles gym.
He was able to recover from the two severe injuries and contribute to the festivities. WarriorsAlthough he won his fourth NBA championship in June, he was not the same.
He said, “I didn’t think I would be even close to being that close.” He makes rare admission that he will soon return to his roots.
He continues, “But in the playoffs I actually looked at the numbers leading up to the Finals.” “If you looked at my stats, you would never guess I was hurt.
“That was a great inspiration to me to keep going. It’s like saying, “I’m there.” … I know that I’ll do this again.
Thompson bought the 37-foot fishing vessel and learned how to sail it in 2020. He had always wanted to own a boat. He needed something to replace his love of basketball while he was rehabbing from injuries. It could be in his genes. His father Mychal Thompson said that this is the result of his Bahamian roots.
A friend may occasionally help him tie the boat up or clean out the windows. However, he will not hire a deck crew. He enjoys the job.
“What’s the point?” He laughs. “It’s like being a Boy Scout. It’s very Zen.
As he heads towards Belvedere Cove, the weather is perfect. Although this is the sunniest area of San Francisco Bay it can still get cold if the wind blows or the fog rolls in.
Wow, what a day. Thompson shouts, “It’s like a lake here.” It’s great when it’s like this. There is not a lot wind. It’s “glassy”, as boaters call it. We’ll be there in no time.
Thompson loves boat languages and boat things. Thompson even purchased a pair white-soled Sperrys for deck.
He sees a few seals as well as a school of jellyfish out past Alcatraz Island. He slows his motor down and takes a moment to look at the Golden Gate Bridge. His mind is not quiet but he’s still very present.
“In 2019 was the best year I felt.” He says that even though I know I won’t be able to get there again, it is still a great player. “It’s still a great championship team.”
This is the self-talk that has helped him get through the past few years. But this is self-talk. Not gospel. This is why he was kicked out of his office on Oct. 25 after he started barking at Phoenix Suns Guard Devin Booker. “Four rings!” “Four rings!” he shouted. He then clapped back when Charles Barkley, TNT analyst said he wasn’t that player.
It is too easy to prove them wrong.
Although Warriors ownership has shown willingness to pay whatever it takes for a championship team, next season will be historic expensive after signing swingmen Jordan Poole Andrew Wiggins Contract extensions are worth nearly $250 million. The future holds many challenges. They will need to fight to preserve what they have together.
This year, the Warriors don’t look like the team who won a title last season, with a 6-8 record going into tonight’s home game against Suns.
Thompson states, “It’s all about staying present and enjoying every moment I’m in a Warriors uniform.”
Angel Island is calm as he pushes his boat faster. This is what he loves about being on the water.
When the boat encounters chop from a large ferry boat, he keeps the throttle down. He’s experienced enough on this route to know that the chop will get worse before it disappears.
He said, “It’ll grow big out here.” “Take it slow. This is how I learned it. Slow is the key to success behind the helm.
WHEN THE WARRIORS When you think back to the run they had, only a few moments will stick in your mind. Thompson’s Game 6 against The Oklahoma City Thunder 2016 Steph Curry‘s Game 4 against Boston Celtics In 2022. Thompson’s quarter of 37 points in 2015. Curry’s quarter of 37 points in 2015 was his best at Madison Square Garden.
If you can experience even one of those moments, you will never be the same again.
Thompson said, “It is hard to put it into words.”
Rowers refer to a phenomenon called “swing”, when all members move in perfect harmony and sync. For basketball enthusiasts, it is an amazing experience to see the Splash Brothers perform in this way.
Bruce Fraser, Warriors assistant coach, said that Klay Thompson’s shot was a statue if you asked James Naismith to make a model of the game he imagined when he created it. “Maybe Steph was the player Naismith imagined, but Klay’s shot seems so pure.”
They felt the same feeling when Thompson was injured. He, the team, and the game.
Steve Kerr, Warriors coach says there was a “sense of loss.” “You have everything you ever wanted, and you are enjoying every minute of it. And then it’s gone.
“[Warriors vice president of basketball operations] Mike Dunleavy [Jr.] He has a wonderful quote. He said, “Every player runs his or her own race.” Klay’s racing has been truly remarkable and unique, but then there have been two years — I don’t wish to call tragedy, it’s too harsh — of hell.
Thompson is aware of what he has lost.
“Two Years of my prime,” he said.
That feeling is a great one.
He is here to take in the world, and not escape it.
This is not a hobby, it’s a way to live. The main galley has a chess set and a sea log book. There is also a fishing rod. Below deck is a bed that he obviously has spent many nights on, an issue from The New Yorker and an old copy of “Antifragile,” by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Lebanese American philosopher/essayist.
Thompson has been a voracious reader since childhood.
His dad said that he has known him since he was a child. “Nine months, and you’d glance over in the corner to see him on his knees, reading a book.”
Thompson was absent for the first two seasons but he continued to read.
“I have read.” Accept The Game Danger ZoneAs a kid, I loved reading ‘The Little Prince’. Young, Black, Rich, and Famous Dr. Todd Boyd,” says he. “I also read other random ocean books. Blue Water HuntersBecause I love spearfishing.”
Right now, he is reading Thomas Pletzinger’s book. Dirk Nowitzki To find out if there are secrets to longevity
The copy of Taleb’s book is located right next to his bed.
Taleb wrote, “There is no other word for the exact opposite to fragile.” Let’s call it antifragile. Antifragility transcends resilience and robustness. The resilient can withstand shocks and stay the same; antifragility gets better.
THE WALK FROM Thompson can dock his boat at “The Ramp”, a restaurant located near Chase Center. It takes Thompson no more than 10 mins. However, he prefers riding his bike.
He is after the pace and not the time.
“I am so grateful that I am healthy now, and I’m always in motion,” says he. “I will never sit still again.”
He finds it difficult to talk about the early days of each injury’s recovery.
The Achilles injury left the Achilles tendon in a terrible condition for the first month. The doctors will place your lower leg in a cast until the swelling subsides enough to allow them to operate on the tendon.
Thompson spent the first month at an Orange County house near his family. His long-time agent Greg Lawrence, Mychel’s older brother, and Julie, his mom, visited him daily to help him with tasks.
Thompson states, “I’m in an enormous cast and gosh. It’s luggy.” It’s difficult to get up to brush your teeth, or make breakfast. It’s impossible to drive a car so you feel stuck.
He read a lot in that time. To keep his mind occupied, he did everything he could. However, he was unable to move through it.
He had to find a way to get through his fragility.
Lawrence observed Thompson walk up to another room in the Orange County house one day. Ten minutes went by. Then it was 20.
Lawrence says, “All of the sudden, we hear screaming from another room.” “Mychel gets up to check what’s happening, as we were both concerned that he might have fallen and injured himself.”
Mychel opened the doors to find Klay screaming at a laptop. He was fine.
Mychel exclaims, “That was when I heard Tony Robbins’ voice.”
Peter Guber, co-owner of the Warriors, had introduced Robbins four years ago to the team. Thompson heard Robbins give a motivational talk and asked for help after his Achilles injury.
Thompson said that some of the techniques he taught me were so easy and seemed so absurd when you do them. Thompson says that one of his methods is to simply look in the mirror and shout, “I’m a F—ing Warriors!”
Robbins was convinced he needed something more that day. This was the beginning of his return journey.
Speak it! You’re a F—ing Warriors! It’s your turn! You can pound your chest!
Thompson says that the power of the spoken words is “the power of speech.” Even yelling can be effective sometimes. It’s good to your soul.
SINCE THEY’VE HAD Thompson, along with a few Warriors team members, took short trips to the Bay on the boat.
He said, “You won’t have a bad time out here.”
Curry says he would love to travel, but logistically it hasn’t worked out. Thompson lives in North Bay and Curry in South Bay. Each of them has a million things they can do after practice and games.
But they will both be able to make it happen one day. Their relationship goes beyond shared history.
Thompson was in Santa Cruz to rehab his Achilles. That night Curry broke Madison Square Garden’s all-time 3-point mark, Thompson was there. They were both too sick to not be together to celebrate.
Curry says Curry FaceTimed him after playing on the way to the little dinner he had. Curry says that Curry thanked him for helping me achieve my personal success and gave me the motivation to continue working on the craft. We always supported each other regardless of whether we were competing in shooting competitions. He was a big part of that milestone, so I wanted it to be shared with him.
Thompson appreciated Thompson’s call but in some ways it made the pain worse.
He said, “Bigtime FOMO.”
They are two very distinct men. Curry is married with three kids, has a production business, political connections of the highest rank, and seems to have endless bandwidth for the franchise’s duties. Thompson is single. He can hold his breath for more than a minute when spearfishing, and is difficult to reach when he doesn’t want to.
His father said, “Oh yeah. He’ll just disappear.
Because they allow each other to be, the relationship works.
Curry states that the best thing about Curry’s team is its ability to be a non-judgmental zone. Curry says that everyone is accountable to the team for bringing the commitment to what we are trying to accomplish as a group. If this were like the TV show “Big Brother”, there would be many subplots.
Curry also remembers the talk Robbins gave to the team. There were some laughs at the beginning, as they always are when people are forced to move beyond their comfort zones in a group setting. That was the point.
Get outside yourself. You can let go of the inner monologue that is playing in your head. Look for what you can replace it with.
Curry says, “We got into it all.” It reminds us that we can make whatever energy we want.”
Thompson is a natural performer who can create the emotion he seeks through movement, music, or words. He was unable to change his mind after the injuries, but his spirit was not.
Curry says, “It’s as if he has an sincere revelation every single day.” “Whatever the it’ of that day, it is the most incredible thing.”
Curry can tell you how it sounds when Thompson is described like this. He has a charming quirkiness that is often misunderstood.
He is a great guy who loves his dog. China Klay. A street man talking about scaffolding The latest news from New York. Jackie Moon.
Curry asserts that people use the word “simple” to protect themselves. It’s not a bad thing. He is very consistent in this respect. He enjoys playing basketball and likes to do what he wants.
CHAMPIONSHIP LAST SEASON Run was an easy sport to motivate for. After two seasons of the lottery, everyone had something to show.
Thompson’s return in January was the next step.
He said, “It’s quite possibly the most memorable day of my entire life to be able to listen to the crowd again.” “To receive the ovation, and the starting lineup. To do a dunk on someone. It was my first game back and I couldn’t have been more perfect.”
Already, this season feels completely different.
Veteran are trained in training camp Draymond Green Third-year Guard Poole was punched in the face. Video of the incident was distributed to TMZ. The team launched an investigation into how footage taken during closed-door practice was made publicly.
Kerr described it as “the greatest crisis we’ve faced since I’ve been coach there.”
Poole and the entire team were sincerely sorry and Green has since returned to court in excellent form. The conflict is still a problem. The future of the franchise is Poole and Wiggins, a 27-year old swingman. It is unclear how smooth the transfer to them will be.
Andre Iguodala He has already made it clear that this will be his final season. The futures of Green ($27.6m player option for next season) and Thompson ($84m remaining on his deal), are still uncertain.
Everyone feels the tension. There are too many subplots within the “Big Brother’ house.
Curry said that there is no graceful way for things to end. Curry said, “We are aware of that. However, it is important to not worry about it when you step on the court. Because it takes away from your game.” … Without that thought, we wouldn’t have won last year.
Kerr was a member of the 1996 “Last Dance” team. Michael Jordan And the Chicago Bulls. The two situations are similar, but he’s still not ready to admit it.
Kerr says, “This is my ninth-year.” Look at the core, Steph, Klay Draymond, Andre – they have been together for almost a decade. This isn’t what happens in sports.
“But when you have a backup like these guys, who are just as potent and explosive but also so naturally humble, and so respectful of everyone around them, it allows an organization to get past the tough times.
It can only last so much longer. This isn’t going to last forever, we know that. This could be our last year. We’re at the end of our journey. We are aware of that. We want to make the most.
SUMMER Thompson made a trip to Mexico in 2020. Fraser tried for years to convince him to visit his Mexican house.
It is easy to find the right place if you know exactly where you want to go. The famous Nine Palms breaks are what surfers know about the isolated stretch of sand that lies on the East Cape in the Baja peninsula. However, there aren’t any street signs or addresses. To move is to feel off the grid.
Fraser said, “I tried to explain the way to get there through points-of-reference.” “There’s a hill and a cross on it. Then you’ll likely see a few donkeys.”
Fraser invited many of his team members down to the house over the years. Few had made it this far. He should have just picked Thompson up.
Fraser and Thompson share a common bond. Both are passionate about the water and the freedom to get off the grid. They avoid getting into any kind of entanglements that could prevent them from doing this.
Fraser was even filmed by the Warriors.The Most Interesting Man in the NBA.” His nickname is Q, which is short for Question.
He has been on Thompsons boat only a few times over the years. Even though neither one of them can describe it, they get along.
Fraser states, “If I had to pick a favorite book, it would have to be one written by Klay Thompson at 60.” “Because it’s when you can get all that’s in your soul articulated.
“He is still learning how articulate and what to articulate. Although he isn’t a puzzler, he can give pieces to you that you can piece together over time if you listen.
Thompson was in Mexico the day Thompson visited. He and Thompson mostly went swimming and waited until it was right to surf.
Fraser recalls that the only things he had was a pair surf trunks and a basketball. “I was like, You know we don’t have a basketball there.’
Thompson wanted to still bring the ball.
Fraser had to leave the house in order to join a Zoom conference call with other Warriors coaches. It was unfortunate, but everyone tried to stay connected.
Thompson was shooting ghost jumpers at the wall, which he noticed when he looked outside the window.
Thompson states, “That trip changed the course of my life.” It showed me how much I really needed to be happy.
KERR LIKES TO Thompson is considered a star who requires no maintenance. Kerr said that Thompson might be upset over something but would say it in such a calm, respectful manner that it never becomes a problem.
Kerr states, “It’s a very healthy thing, but at times you want him to release it out.” “He won’t really tell me all the time what he’s feeling. I know there’s more than people realize. Sometimes, I worry that there is too much stuff.
This is what Thompson did last fall, when cameras caught him sitting on the bench, weeping, while he intensified his on-court work. Thompson was nearing his return, but he wasn’t there yet. It hurt him.
Kerr states that he thought about all the losses. He was missing out on everything he had accomplished in the past two years. I tried reminding him of all the accomplishments he had made. I think I said something like “Can you believe that when you were drafted, we could have predicted that you’d be a four time champion and a member of the hall of fame?” While you will miss a few years due to injury, you’ll still be able play until you turn 37. Keep going.
“I tried to put positive spin on it but I just think that his sense of what was lost was just overwhelming.”
This was made easier by winning the championship. It’s there. He lost years and took everything for granted.
He says that he took it for granted to be healthy and be able jump and run and do everything in life. He said, “Doing laundry and going to breakfast and driving yourself to work. All that I did was routine. At 28 years old, I thought I was invincible.
Most people would take a moment to pause before they spoke the next line. Thompson?
“But, I was humbled, I’m now a different person than back then.”
He is antifragile.
Video by Julian Gooden, edited by NatachaTrisri