NBA FINALS: CELTICS VS. WARRIORS

June 15, 2022

Klay Thompson

Golden State Warriors

Practice Day

Q. You went into the ocean before Game 5. Not sure if you have done the same here for Game 6?

KLAY THOMPSON: I have not. But I know there's a lot of beautiful waters around these parts. So I'm not ruling it out. It's probably a slim possibility (smiling).

Q. This is Game 6. Are you planning something special?

KLAY THOMPSON: I would like to have a big night and win the game. It doesn't matter what any of us do individually. The main goal is just to win one game.

I don't want to put any extra pressure on myself to live up to my name. I just want to go out there and play free, trust my teammates. And I know great things will happen if I do those two things.

Q. When people think of Game 6 Klay, they go back to the OKC game. Are you aware of your history in Game 6s overall?

KLAY THOMPSON: I realize I'm on a really good streak right now of Game 6s. I don't know how long that will last. Hopefully, obviously tomorrow.

It's obviously a nickname I earned. I want to live up to it. At the same time, I don't want to go in there and play hero ball. I'm just going to be in there and be myself, do what I've been doing the last few games. I know that will allow us to be successful.

Q. Steve said he didn't know how to make sense of it, but he said one thing is that you have a killer instinct. Is that part of what's going on, trying to close out a team?

KLAY THOMPSON: Yeah, I just know after doing this for so long that killer instinct means just playing with incredible intensity, force and will. If you leave it all out there and you play intelligently, that's all you can ask for yourself.

Try not to say, I'm going to score this many points, I'm going to lock this player up. As long as you control what you can control, and that's the effort and the focus factors, it's going to be a good night for us.

Q. You have struggled to close out series at your first opportunity so far this postseason. Andre just said clinching is the hardest game you'll ever have to play. What makes closing out a series difficult? Does having a championship on the line make it even harder mentally?

KLAY THOMPSON: I don't think the championship we think about too much because we've talked about it, like just being present. You do yourself a disservice if you think about things that don't even exist yet.

On your first point, it is very hard to close out a series. This is a very good team. We know they're going to play with a sense of desperation. So for us to match that or exceed that, it's going to take the most effort we've had to give all year.

But I can tell you this: We're all ready for the opportunity, and we're all very excited.

Q. From a historical perspective, people probably remember this team, this franchise, as being a great offensive team, revolutionizing the game. Do you feel defense is the foundation of championship runs for this group?

KLAY THOMPSON: Yeah, I think it's a great mix of both obviously. I mean, what gets overlooked is our versatility on that end. We have players that can guard every position. We have obviously great defensive schemes as well as coaching with Mike B. and the rest of the staff. They got us watching a lot of film, knowing the players' tendencies.

Then we just got guys that play with great heart. Mix all those together, you got a potent mix.

Q. You've had a few quick-hand steals. Do you feel that's something, as you're getting older, you're getting more confident doing or trying more often?

KLAY THOMPSON: I think I've always had hands. Not to Andre's level, but I'll sneak a couple a game. Hopefully that will swing the momentum most of the times I do.

Q. The Celtics talk about the officiating kind of getting into their head in Game 5. How much do you feed off of that in a game, noticing that your opponent is unraveling or losing their composure in the way that they did?

KLAY THOMPSON: I don't think we focus on it too much, to be honest. We have a next-play mentality. We're just worried about getting a great shot up in those moments, not what the other team is talking about.

Basketball is a very continuous game. If you're out there talking to the officials the whole night, you might get in your own way.

Q. Draymond was just getting reflective and talking about your guys' journey. Within that, I was curious to get your perspective on Coach. You got the guy who took over from Mark Jackson, getting his feet wet after being an analyst. You have the guy who shepherded the championships in the KD years. The last couple were waiting for you to come back, the 15-50 struggles. What kind of changes have you seen in Steve as a coach?

KLAY THOMPSON: I haven't seen many changes, to be honest. I think Steve has pretty much been the same since 2015. I mean, Steve has had such an incredible, unique career, from player to coach, GM. He just knows how to jell talent together. Then he draws from his playing days, which is really cool to hear and talk about, playing with Mike and Scottie, the Twin Towers in San Antonio.

The man's knowledge for the game is second to none. That's why I love being around him. He's got so many historical examples of how to get out of sticky situations. He's a great leader. He deserves every praise that comes his way.

Q. Another thing that Draymond was talking about was he mentioned the scene where you and Steph and he were sitting together eating at some point, and Bob Myers came by and was like, you guys are still together, sitting together? Just from a personal level, what is it about the personalities of the three of you that you like being around each other?

KLAY THOMPSON: Hmm. Well, I don't know about that. I owe Draymond some money in dominoes, so I don't want to see him too many times (smiling).

That's funny. That happened like two days ago. I was half asleep. Draymond and Bob were chatting their hearts away for six hours on a plane ride. I was just trying to get some sleep. Good times (smiling).