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NBA FINALS: CAVALIERS v WARRIORS

June 4, 2016

Klay Thompson

Oakland, California: Practice Day

Q. Everyone's talking about Muhammad Ali. How did he affect you and your family?
KLAY THOMPSON: Well, he was my dad's favorite athlete of all time, so that had a big impression on me. Even besides his greatness in the ring, what he'll forever be remembered for is what he stood up for in his life. He was at the peak of his career during a tough time in this country, and he stood up for obviously his people, civil rights, and most importantly just self love.

He told everyone to love yourself and carry yourself with a certain dignity and respect. His impact will be felt with the rest of the history of the world. It will be taught in schools.

It's a sad day. He's not just a sports icon, but he's a culture icon and world icon. Athletes rarely ever reach that. You could argue Muhammad Ali had the most influence of all time for an athlete. So he should be celebrated forever.

Q. Could you imagine an athlete doing what he did in the prime of his career now?
KLAY THOMPSON: It's hard to. Obviously it's a different time. Still obviously tough times going on around the world. I could imagine it, but I don't know if it would have the impact like Muhammad Ali had. So that's what I'll forever remember him for.

Q. About your game, Game 1 wasn't your best game in terms of shooting. What do you expect from Game 2?
KLAY THOMPSON: I expect to be much better individually. Hopefully the same result. I think we played great as a team. Obviously our bench was the story of the night with 45 points, and they won us the game. But individually I expect to be better and stay out of foul trouble.

Q. Was there anything they did to make things more difficult for you?
KLAY THOMPSON: Not really. Nothing we haven't really seen all Playoffs. Just the same old trying to run me off the three-point line, take away obviously my shots along the perimeter and any catch and shoot looks.

Q. How much does conditioning play a factor at this point in the season?
KLAY THOMPSON: I mean, it's what the off-season's about. It's what you get ready for, is the grind of the regular season and the Playoffs.

So for me it's just about being mentally strong, because you have to be mentally tough to do both jobs. Just being satisfied. The best players in the world are in the best shape, so I aspire to be that.

Q. Does seeing Kevin [Love] bring you back to those Little League days at all?
KLAY THOMPSON: Yeah, sometimes. Just about playing basketball and baseball growing up. He was a phenom as a kid, so to be on the world stage with him, it's really cool. I don't take it for granted.

Q. Could you kind of see even back then maybe where he was headed?
KLAY THOMPSON: Yeah, everyone knew he was special. He was obviously highly touted in high school and even before that, middle school. He was a big deal around the country in basketball circles. Everyone knew him.

Q. What kind of a role is Andrew Bogut looking to play in Game 2?
KLAY THOMPSON: Just what he's done all year. Be that stalwart, that anchor. He's a great communicator, so at the same time, we need Andrew to be aggressive on offense. He's great at catching lobs and finishing around the basket. So as long as he's aggressive, he can help our team go.

Q. How did you and Steph react to your poor performance in Game 1? Do you joke about it?
KLAY THOMPSON: We joked about it a couple times but we don't let it get us down, because it takes four games to win, and it could be a long series, you never know. Bad shooting nights happen. It's rare we both have one in the same night, but that's what our team's for. They did a great job picking us up, and, yeah, we just told ourselves we've got to be better throughout the series, and I think we'll respond.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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