Former Warriors Champion Gives Honest Insight on Internal Struggles During Dynasty Years
A beloved face of the Bay Area, Klay Thompson played an integral part in the Warriors’ establishing one of the most dominant dynasties in NBA history. Drafted with the 11th overall pick in the 2011 draft, Thompson became an NBA shooter like no other. In the summer of 2024, he and the Warriors parted ways after 13 years together, as both sides looked to turn a new chapter in their respective books. Yesterday, Thompson appeared on five-time NBA Champion Michael Cooper’s podcast, “Showtime with Coop,” and gave some detailed descriptions about certain chapters of his career. One of the chapters discussed, obviously, was the biggest one of Thompson’s career.
Cooper’s “Showtime Lakers” displayed nothing but dominance during the ‘80s, so it’s safe to say he knows a few things about establishing a winning formula, especially about its ugly side. Using his personal expertise, he asked Thompson to elaborate on the practice environment that surrounded the Warriors during those winning years. The Warriors legend spoke honestly and mentioned that turmoil did arise at times. “There was times there would be friction. Whether it’d be Draymond and I, Steph and I, Coach and I, it's just a part of it. You grow from it, and you be a man enough to leave that on the court,” Thompson said.
I want to highlight the second part of that statement, because that’s the difference maker. As Thompson himself brought up later on, those guys had to be with each other for many hours a day, every single day. Arguments are bound to spark up, especially for a group that spends as much time together as they do. It’s natural, and I think that how those players handled themselves through those situations is a testament to their character.
The Warriors’ culture during their dynasty never became known as toxic, and while winning certainly helped put the scuffles to the side, it couldn’t cover everything up. This situation, in my opinion, displays the professionalism of the players involved. Any one of them could’ve chosen to take the imperfection of being a true competitor to heart, but none of them did. Only twice did an in-house argument make it to the public surface: Green and Kevin Durant during a game against the Clippers in 2018, and Green punching Jordan Poole during a practice in 2022. Countless times, they showed up the very next day, ready to get back to work, strengthening what Thompson referred to as a “brotherhood” during the interview. I believe that this aspect of dealing with disagreements not to infect the environment was part of the reason for the Warriors’ continued success.
