Klay Thompson claimed this season's NBA free-throw title at 92.7 percent shooting, a mere half-percent better than Warriors teammate Steph Curry.
Curry was quick to point out, though, that Thompson hit just 127 free throws (out of 137) while he sank 299 (out of 324) -- 172 more makes than his Splash Brother.
"I'm going to see if they rewrite the rules," Curry jokingly said Monday at practice ahead of Tuesday's NBA Play-In Tournament game against the Sacramento Kings. "Don’t know what 125 free throws, what that qualification is, but [Klay] got it done.
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"I had no clue until [Warriors senior vice president of communications] Raymond [Ridder] told me today. I knew I was up there percentage-wise, pretty much all year. I think [Damian Lillard] was up there, too. But I had no clue Klay was ineligible until last game, and he made all five, so."
Curry has worn the league's free-throw crown four times over his 15-year NBA career, with his last coming in the 2017-18 season at 92.1 percent. Admittedly, he knew he'd finish the season near the top.
Thompson, meanwhile, finished atop the league’s free-throw shooters for the first time in his 13-year career. He wouldn't have won it without his 5-for-5 performance from the line Sunday during Golden State's 123-116 win over the Utah Jazz at Chase Center.
Golden State Warriors
And, like Curry, Thompson didn’t know much about the race until recently, when he found out he won.
"[Klay] had no clue, either," Curry said. "He said, 'Oh, that's cool,' and that was the whole conversation right there. He didn't even realize he gets a little plaque or trophy, or something.
"I presented Jordan [Poole] with his when he got it [in 2021-22]. I guess Klay missed that whole ceremony because he had no idea that there was a trophy acknowledgment for the stat leader. So, the trophy was a surprise to him."
Curry, while excited for his teammate, made it clear he wanted to take home the title.
"No," Curry humorously said about finding solace in a Warrior winning the free-throw crown. "I hate losing. Absolutely not.
"But I guess I’m extremely proud of my teammate, yes."
So, Curry is a little salty about losing the free-throw race to Thompson, but he still has three more titles in his back pocket.