Transcript: Klay Thompson reminisces with Michael Cooper

On the early days, fights in practice and Splash Brothers

Eric’s Reddit Ask Me Anything

Yes, I have volunteered to do a Reddit Ask Me Anything thread in r/valkyries on Saturday Sep 13, 10:00-11:00 PST.

• The thread

Please go there and post some questions in advance. Please try to make the questions relevant to a Valkyries fan audience.

Here is a transcript of a few bits of the conversation.

The Early Years

Michael Cooper

As a former Laker, we went through a year or two not understanding how to win a championship, but learning how to do it on the run. What was it like for you and that Warrior team in the early years and then y’all finally started winning?

Klay Thompson

Yeah. Uh, it was super special. You look back on the times before the glory with so much joy because that target wasn’t on your back yet. The expectation wasn’t as high, but you were just trying to figure it out. I got lucky to play for a great coach at the time in Mark Jackson, who instilled so much confidence in not only myself but Steph and Draymond and Harrison Barnes. We were a young team. We had a young core, but we knew we could do something special if we just stuck together and stuck it out. I mean, history is on our side with that one. Those first few years were some of my favorite memories in the league, especially being a player against Kobe and all the guys I watched growing up, whether it be Tim Duncan, Dirk, Manu, or Tony. It was the best time as a player because you just try to do anything to leave your mark, whether it’s get minutes or have a big scoring night.

Winning with jump shooting

Michael Cooper

It was a special time. Now when you guys won that first championship, you did it in a magnificent way. And I’m gonna tell you this, Klay. I never thought a team could win a championship shooting jump shots. But you and Steph were probably—I’m gonna say this, and I’ve been around this league a long time—you two are the best shooters I’ve ever seen play this game. Winning those championships, how did that, I mean, after you win one, you just want to win more.

Klay Thompson

Absolutely. And that means so much coming from you, Mr. Cooper. I know how much basketball you’ve seen, playing against some of the best players of all time, whether it be Larry or Dr. J, Chuck, Michael, the list goes on.

That was a big question mark, especially early in our careers: this team is really relying on the three-ball. I don’t know if any team’s ever been successful doing that.

It was shocking the first year for me because I came from Washington State, a humble place. We didn’t have the most prestigious basketball club, but I had a great hunger about myself when I did get to the league. Me and Steph got to a point where our synergy, we just knew where each other would be on the court. And Draymond was also quarterbacking out there, same with Andre. It was just an awesome time.

We are credited a lot with how the style of basketball has changed so much because of what we did as a team. Steph was at the forefront of that, but I feel like I was semi-responsible for being a part of this three-point revolution. Once you win that first one, it is surreal and you relax a little bit, but man, like you said, it’s addicting. You want to be there every season. Luckily for us, we had six trips to the finals under our belt.

Fighting in practice

Michael Cooper

And still hungry for more. You know what, Klay, again, when teams win championships, and I’m not telling you to divulge anything ugly or anything, but there are some confrontations you have in practice. I mean, there were times when me and Magic went at each other. Bob McAdoo didn’t like him. You know, there are some things that went on. Tell us a little bit about those Warriors practices with Draymond and you and all the guys.

Klay Thompson

Well, I mean, I already know y’all had some crazy, crazy times, whether it be a practice or pickup in the summer. Back then you guys were really squaring up and throwing blows. It might not have been as big a deal because the camera phones and these cameras weren’t around as much. So I already know what you guys were doing during pickup and the season.

It’s the same thing in our era. There are gonna be times where you just bicker with your teammates or there’s gonna be friction because we spend every day together, and we’re like a traveling band. It’s a brotherhood really, especially when you got that championship mindset and that expectation. It starts with obviously the head coach and then all the way down to the last man on the bench. That’s what makes teams so great. I know you can attest to that. That’s why you got five rings and are part of one of the greatest dynasties in sports, because everyone on that team, whoever stepped on that floor, was the most competitive person out there. That’s when you get the most out of each other, and that’s when the product’s the best.

For us, there have been a lot of scuffles, a lot of bad words said and feelings hurt, but at the end of the day we know we just want to win. When you raise a banner you can look past all the stuff you went through as brothers. There were times, there’d be friction between Draymond and I, or Steph and I, or Coach and I. It’s just a part of it, and you grow from it and be man enough to leave that on the court and be a professional about it.

The name Splash Brothers

Michael Cooper

And you know what? That’s what life is about. You know what, Klay, I love nicknames. I love Showtime. The one nickname that I love the most, that is so fitting to you guys, is the Splash Brothers. How did that come about?

Klay Thompson

Uh, shoot. I think there was a writer in the Bay Area who was doing a play off the Bash Brothers because they were so great in Oakland. I think it was my second year where Steph and I had like seven threes apiece, it might have been in three quarters. He tweeted out—I think his name was Brian—and it just caught fire and stuck with us ever since. [It was Brian Witt. - Eric]

I really love the nickname when we were pairing because it is synonymous with being an absolute dead-eye from three. It always warms my heart when I hear young athletes talk about my time at Golden State and being a Splash Bro. There’s nothing like being able to etch yourself in the history books, and I’m very grateful for my time up there with Steph. That was a special time. But now, getting to play with Kyrie and D-Lo, it’s really exciting. It’s like a different version, but the guard play nowadays is just second to none, especially with the skill level to handle and shoot from pretty much anywhere. It’s pretty exciting that we were kinda at the genesis of that—me and Steph, that is.