Last week, Klay Thompson had to come off the bench for the first time in more than 12 years, when he was still an inexperienced rookie with the Golden State Warriors.

Gradually entering the other side of the slope of his career with his physical condition and form no longer guaranteed, Klay Thompson may have to get used to coming on the field from the bench. 

In the match right before the All-Star break a week ago, Klay was no longer in Golden State’s starting lineup against the Utah Jazz. This is the first time Thompson has been on the bench in more than a decade, when he was a fledgling rookie with the Warriors. 

Last week, Klay Thompson had to be on the bench for the first time since the 2011-12 season

But “sitting on the bench” did not discourage Klay Thompson, on the contrary, he played explosively. The shooter born in 1990 pocketed 7 3-pointers and ended the match with 35 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists.

Every single point of Klay was highly valuable in the Warriors’ narrow 140-136 victory over the Utah Jazz, helping Golden State and Thompson individually enter the All-Star break with an extremely comfortable mentality.

Speaking about Klay Thompson’s resurgence, former NBA player and current analyst Jamal Crawford shared some advice for the Golden State pitcher.

Crawford can be considered the “substitute king” in the NBA as he owns 3 Sixth Man of The Year titles, and Lou Williams holds the record for the number of times he has been named the best reserve player in the tournament.

“I feel like everyone is ready to bury Klay even though he’s still averaging 17 points per game ,” Jamal Crawford shared on the podcast with Draymond Green.

“I texted Klay before that game (35-point game against Utah Jazz – PV), chatting about coming off the bench. I say that the battle here lies only with Klay Thompson and himself because his previous achievements are so great.”

“Super sub” Jamal Crawford once faced off against Klay Thompson during his time in the NBA

“ Klay was a star, a player who was both good at attacking and good at defending. But then trauma struck and led to what we see now. I told him not to be afraid of challenges but to directly find ways to confront them.

Forget about starting or subs because it doesn’t mean much at this point. Being a substitute is even better because the coach will put you on the field at certain times, then the attack will rotate around you and you will be able to play more freely.

This is better than playing in the starting lineup but not being free to do what you want. When you play freely, you can enjoy the match more and do what you need to do better ,” shared the owner of three 6th Man of The Year titles.

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Pushed to the reserve, Klay Thompson scored 35 points in a row

“We don’t see superstars who won four NBA championships, are still averaging 17 points a game and are ready to be on the bench. That says a lot, right? ”, Jamal Crawford added about Klay.

Jamal Crawford’s conversation with Klay Thompson seemed to help relieve the Warriors pitcher of psychological pressure, helping him explode in the match against Utah before the All-Star break.

Now Golden State fans hope that Thompson will maintain this spirit and form, entering the important match against the Los Angeles Lakers on the morning of February 23.