One doesn’t have to look too hard on social media to find someone using the word “washed” in the same sentence as Klay Thompson’s name.
Which is exactly why the four-time champion and future Hall of Famer wanted to join the Heat, Thompson said at his introductory press conference, via the Associated Press.
“It’s kind of a redemption season for me to show I can still make an impact on winning and do it consistently,” Thompson said. “I can’t wait to get to work. It’s pretty surreal being here. But what an honor it is….
“I’ve tasted winning before and there’s really nothing like it. The opportunity to win again at a very high level was so attractive to me.”
Thompson put his money where his mouth was about winning, giving up more than $9 million of his $17.5 million contract to facilitate a buyout in Dallas. Then he signed with the Heat for two years, $11.5 million (more total money, less per year), making about $5.6 million this season (low enough that the Heat can fill out their roster with two veteran minimum contracts).
Thompson got into more detail about what he wants sitting down with Brendan Tobin.
“I just missed out on the postseason [last season with the Warriors]. I hate watching from home. You get FOMO watching all your coworkers just getting to chase their dreams and it’s not fun not making the playoffs. That’s all I want to do these next couple years. Have a chance to make a deep postseason run. So excited to be in Miami. They’re a very demanding organization, but I love being in that ultra-competitive atmosphere, and this was a match made in heaven.”
Thompson should get his chance to compete in the postseason this season. He is expected to start in Miami, a team that has worked to put as much shooting as possible around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. Last season, Thompson averaged a career-low 11.7 points a game but shot 38.3% from 3-point range on a healthy 7.6 attempts per game — he should thrive in the up-tempo offense expected from the Heat. Expect him to hit a lot of trail and corner 3-pointers in transition.
The opportunities will be there for Thompson to prove all his detractors wrong, to get his redemption. He just has to grab them.
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