GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY
Warriors star Klay Thompson benched for 1st time since 2011 rookie season as Golden State fans declare ‘it’s Podz time’
Klay Thompson has been removed from the starting lineup
HALF of one of the NBA's greatest duos in the 'Splash Bros' has been benched for the first time in a decade, and fans have mixed reactions.
The Golden State Warriors announced ahead of their Thursday night contest against the Utah Jazz that NBA star Klay Thompson will not start the game.
3
3
Head coach Steve Kerr has taken Thompson out of the starting lineup in favor of Warriors rookie guard Brandin Podziemski.
It's the first time Thompson will come off the bench since his rookie season in 2012.
NBA fans flooded social media with reactions to Kerr's decision to shake up the lineup with Thomspon.
"Pour one out for Klay Thompson. It's been a heck of a run, but now it's Podz time," this fan declared.
read more NBA
"Real Warriors fans KNOW how hard that conversation must've been.. and if anything, admire and love Klay Thompson more than ever. He just proved that the team means more than his ego," another stated.
"No, I do not feel bad for Klay Thompson. He chucks up terrible shots and then walks around like this, hoping people feel sorry for him," a third expressed.
"I will not accept any Klay Thompson slander. Y'all act like this man didn't win a championship his 1st season coming back from an injury. I just went to a game on Saturday & 1 of his first shots was a made 3 Of a game they won," a fourth said.
Thompson has won four championships with the franchise with Stephen Curry, and the two formed one of the deadliest shooting backcourts in league history.
Most read in Sport
However, Thompson has struggled since suffering injuries over the years, and this season, he's averaging a solid 17 points but shooting a career-low 36% from the three-point line.
He was held to 12 points on 4-for-14 shooting in the Warriors' last game in a loss to the Clippers.
Golden State's Steve Kerr takes 'direct shot at Stephen A. Smith' over 'sickening' Steph Curry and Lebron James comments
The signs of the benching were coming as Thompson has been out of the closing fourth-quarter lineups for a few games now and was spotted visibly upset.
Last week, he was benched late during their game against the Brooklyn Nets, and cameras captured him exasperated by the fact he watched the key stretch of the contest from the sidelines.
Thompson has also been open and candid by admitting to struggling with his changing role.
"You kidding me? Go from, you know, one of the best players ... it's hard for anybody," he said.
"I'll be honest with you. It's very hard."
The U.S. Sun reported last month that Thompson's contract situation is causing "a lot of tension" within the Warriors organization.
Read More on The US Sun
The veteran guard's current deal expires this summer, with extension talks reportedly coming to a halt after he rejected a two-year, $48 million offer before the 2023-24 NBA season's tip-off.
The Warriors are currently 10th in the Western Conference at 26-26, even with Curry putting up an impressive 28 points a night.
3