Klay Thompson, unsure about his Warriors future, stopped in his tracks moments after Golden State lost its NBA play-in tournament game to the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night at Golden 1 Center.
The four-time NBA champion and five-time All-Star took in the scene, looking around the cavernous arena, gazing at the upper reaches of the building.
Thompson needed a few reflective seconds to himself. He had just gone scoreless on 0-of-10 shooting in the 118-94 season-ending loss to the Kings. And he'll soon head into unrestricted free agency, not knowing if he'll be back with the Warriors, the only NBA team he has ever known.
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While speaking with reporters in an end-of-season press conference Wednesday at Chase Center, Thompson was asked what was going through his mind in that moment and he revealed that an unsuspecting Warriors fan caught his attention.
"Some of the things going through my head? Hmm," Thompson said, gathering his thoughts. "Well, the first one, just disappointment because to not shoot the ball well, obviously, a big old donut. So that wasn't very fun.
"I did look up in the nosebleeds, though, and I did see a man wearing a No. 11 jersey. That made me happy, considering my history in Sacramento from playing a state championship there to playing the Kings in the playoffs. That was kind of a full circle going for me. So that was actually a good moment, just seeing that Warriors fan standing by his lonesome up in the 300 level repping 11. That made me grateful."
Golden State Warriors
The 34-year-old Thompson just completed a five-year, $190 million Warriors contract, and he might not be back with Golden State next season.
Thompson's teammates and coaches expressed desire for him to return next season, but he didn't sound as confident in that outcome while talking to the media for nearly 17 minutes.
If Thompson signs elsewhere this offseason, at least he'll know that his final few seconds wearing a No. 11 Warriors jersey were spent thinking about everything he accomplished in that uniform.