SUMMARY
- Klay Thompson, who signed a five-year deal with the Golden State Warriors in 2019, is having one of his worst seasons since his rookie year.
- Before his successful NBA career, Klay Thompson played college basketball for the Washington State Cougars.
Klay Thompson signed a five-year deal worth $189,903,600 with the Golden State Warriors in 2019. For the 2023–2024 season, Thompson will be earning a base salary of $43,219,440 and will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. While the Warriors’ longtime coach is dealing with a ‘number crunch’ as abundant talent is present on the roster, Thompson can’t make a case for himself in the starting lineup.
The Bay Area team drafted the high-flying guard/forward in 2011 as the 11th overall pick. However, the 34-year-old is having one of the worst seasons since his rookie season. In the 2011-12 season, ‘The Sea Captain’ was averaging 12.5 points and 2.4 rebounds. In his second season with the Dubs Nation team, he recorded 16.6 points per game and 3.7 assists.
After that, for 8 consecutive seasons, the star was averaging at least 18 points per game or above. However, in the 2023–24 season, Thompson is averaging 17.0 points and 3.5 rebounds in the 51 games that he has played so far. Such a nosedive in gameplay might pique fans’ interest in his college stats.
Klay Thompson was averaging 21.6 points as a junior at Washington State
‘Game 6 Klay’ is a product of the Washington State Cougars men’s basketball team. No doubt he is often acclaimed as one of the best 3-point shooters in NBA history, and his gameplay in his university days set the same precedent. As a fresher, sophomore, and junior, Klay Thompson played a total of 98 games with Washington State.
The 6-foot-7 guard hails from Ladera Ranch and made a case for himself in his freshman year. He recorded an average of 12.5 points in the 33 games that he played as a freshman. Furthermore, the score just improved in his next season with the Cougars’ basketball team.
As a sophomore, he played 31 games and averaged 19.6 points per game. His average as a junior in Washington State is astonishing, as Klay Thompson was averaging much more than his current average. As a junior, he played 34 games and averaged 21.6 points per game.
Klay Thompson was the lead scorer as a junior in the Pac-10
In the 2010–2011 season, Thompson played for Washington State as a junior and was named to the All-Pacific-10 Conference First Team. Furthermore, he even led the WSU and the conference in terms of 3-pointers made. He recorded 98 of 246 3-pointers as a junior. The final-year player also led the team in terms of scoring, scoring a total of 733 points in the 2010–11 season.
For his illustrious career as a university player, Washington State retired the No. 1 jersey that Thompson wore in his college days. Furthermore, Klay Thompson was also chosen as a top-30 mid-season candidate for both the John R. Wooden and Naismith awards.