Last week, Klay Thompson ended his postgame press conference by opining that Charles Barkley’s remarks on “Inside The NBA” that the guard’s game was “slipping” went too far.
“It just hurt my heart hearing that,” Thompson said. “But you know what, I’m going to internalize it and it’s going to be fuel for me to be even better. I’m very proud of what we accomplished last year, and I feel like I was a huge part of it. I’m not going to let these injuries be a crutch for me. I’m just going to keep going and I’m going to have a great year. Bet on that.”
Thompson, 32, lost two seasons to a torn ACL and Achilles before returning last season to help Golden State to its fourth NBA title in the past eight years. Barkley said the injuries, and his age, made it so he’s not the same player anymore.
That take might sound innocuous, or even obvious, but clearly hurt Thompson’s feelings.
Tuesday night, Barkley tried to clarify his opinion.
“I was disappointed that he took it personally,” Barkley said. “I said a few years ago he was the best two-way guard in the NBA. But because of age and injuries, he’s not the same player. I didn’t say he’s a bum. He’s just not the same player he was.”
Asked by host Ernie Johnson if he expected Thompson to return as the same player he was before the two serious injuries, Barkley clarified that he’s doing his job as an analyst: commenting on the basketball he watches.
“No,” Barkley said. “But I was talking about what I’ve been seeing. I could go back to the Finals. When I went back to the Finals last year…he said give him time. No, when you get older, time ain’t your friend. I love Klay. That’s what bothered me. I love that kid. I love everything about him. I used to say that kid is the best two-way guard in the NBA. But because of age and injuries, he’s not the same guy. That happens to all of us — I wasn’t worth a damn my last two years in the NBA.”
Last week, after Thompson’s response, Stephen Curry slipped a “certain guys kind of forget what their careers looked like on the back end” into his comment. Barkley likely noticed the stray.
But Barkley isn’t comparing the end of his career to Thompson’s. He simply stated that players in their 30s who have endured the types of injuries Thompson has don’t come back stronger than ever.
Through seven games, Thompson is averaging 13.3 points on a career-low 29.5% from 3. He matched his season-high with 19 points in Tuesday’s 116-109 loss in Miami — Golden State’s third straight loss on its current road trip.
“Guys who have those two series of injuries, he’s just going to get older,” Barkley said. “When I said he was the best two-way guard in the NBA, those days are over. He can still be a heckuva NBA player. We all get old, ain’t nothing wrong with that. But you factor in those two injuries, that’s the only point I was trying to make.”