Klay Thompson's Collegiate Career: A Washington State Legacy
Klay Thompson's journey to NBA stardom began on the campus of Washington State University (WSU), where he honed his skills and established himself as a dominant force in college basketball. Before the NBA championships and the "Splash Brothers" fame, Thompson was a standout player for the Washington State Cougars, leaving an indelible mark on the program. This article explores Thompson's college career, highlighting his achievements, statistics, and the legacy he created at WSU.
Early Years and Standout Stats
From the moment he arrived on campus in 2008, Thompson's smooth jumper and calm on-court demeanor set him apart. Under head coach Tony Bennett, Thompson started all 33 games as a freshman, leading the team in three-point and free throw percentage while averaging 12.5 points per game. His consistency earned him Pac-10 All-Freshman honors and signaled what was to come.
Thompson's sophomore season marked his breakout. He opened the year by dropping a tournament-record 43 points to lead Washington State to the Great Alaska Shootout Championship, earning Most Outstanding Player in the process. By the time he reached his junior year, he was the Pac-10’s leading scorer and a two-time All-Pac-10 First Team selection. He set program records with 733 points in a single season and 43 points in a Pac-10 Tournament game - feats that still echo in WSU history.
All-Pac-10 Recognition and Records
Thompson's exceptional performance earned him numerous accolades during his time at WSU. He was a two-time first-team all-conference selection in the Pac-10 (now Pac-12). After becoming the third fastest Cougar to reach 1,000 points, Thompson was named to the All-Pac-10 First Team. He led the Pac-10 in scoring as a junior, again earning All-Pac-10 first team honors. Thompson also became the first Cougar to be named Pac-10 Player of the Week three times when he won the award for the week of Nov. 22-28, extending the record to four after the week of December 6-12.
International Experience
During one summer between seasons, Thompson helped Team USA capture gold at the 2009 FIBA U-19 World Championship in New Zealand, expanding his game alongside future NBA talent and proving he could shine internationally. The above snap shows him battling Croatia in the semifinals on the way to a gold-medal finish.
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A Closer Look at Key Moments
- Media Day Presence: Klay Thompson struck calm, confident poses at Pac-10 media day in Los Angeles. Fans could see him already carrying the poise of a future NBA star.
- Driving to the Hoop: The future Sea Captain sliced through Kansas State’s defense at Bramlage Coliseum, showing off the smooth scoring touch that made him one of college basketball’s purest players.
- Team Unity: He walked the court alongside teammates DeAngelo Casto and Brock Motum during the 2011 Pac-10 Tournament in Los Angeles. It should be noted that this was taken during one of the most dominant scoring runs in Washington State history.
- Defensive Prowess: Thompson and Marcus Capers lock in on defense against Oregon’s Tajuan Porter. This was a hard-fought overtime battle that showcased Thompson’s growing two-way impact.
- Supporting His Teammates: He trailed teammate Xavier Thames up the floor against Kansas State in 2009. It was part of his strong sophomore campaign where he averaged nearly 20 points per game and emerged as one of the Pac-10’s top scorers.
Jersey Retirement and Lasting Impact
On January 18, 2020, Washington State retired the No. 1 that Thompson wore in college. His No. 1 jersey was retired in 2020, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest Cougars to ever play. Long after cementing his legacy in Pullman, he returned to Washington State to hoop with the current Cougars. While this is post-college, Thompson's continued support of his alma mater should not go unnoticed.
From College Star to NBA Champion
Thompson was selected in the first round of the 2011 NBA draft by Golden State with the 11th overall pick. He played his first 13 seasons with the Golden State Warriors, where Thompson was part of the "Splash Brothers." He is widely regarded as one of the best three-point shooters of all time. Thompson is a four-time NBA champion, a five-time NBA All-Star, a two-time All-NBA Third Team honoree, and was once named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.
In 2014, he and teammate Stephen Curry set a then-NBA record with 484 combined three-pointers in a season (a record they broke the following season with 525 and again in the 2015-16 season with 678), earning the pair the nickname of "the Splash Brothers." In 2015, Thompson helped lead the Warriors to their first NBA championship since 1975. The following season, he helped the Warriors win a record 73 games. The team advanced to the NBA Finals that season, losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games. Thompson and the Warriors avenged their 2016 finals loss, winning two more titles in 2017 and 2018. He also helped the Warriors reach their fifth straight Finals in 2019, where he suffered a torn ACL late in the series.
Milestones and Achievements in the NBA
- 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend Rising Stars Challenge: The NBA did not select Thompson for the 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend Rising Stars Challenge.
- January 29, 2013: Thompson scored a season-high 32 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
- 2012-13 Season: Thompson and Stephen Curry formed the best shooting duo in NBA history. That season, they combined made 483 three-pointers, the most ever by an NBA duo at the time.
- May 8, 2013: Thompson recorded a playoff career-high 34 points against San Antonio, hitting 8-of-9 three-pointers, to go along with a career-high 14 rebounds.
- 2013-14 Season: In the opening game for the Warriors, Thompson scored a season-high 38 points, including 5-of-7 three-pointers. He and Curry set an NBA record for 484 combined threes on the season, besting by one the record they set the previous year. Thompson averaged 18.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists on the year.
- October 31, 2014: Thompson signed a four-year, $70 million contract extension with the Warriors.
- November 1, 2014: He scored a then career-high 41 points in the Warriors' 127-104 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
- January 23, 2015: Thompson scored a career-high 52 points, with 11 three-pointers, in a 126-101 victory over the Sacramento Kings. In the third quarter of that game, he scored an NBA-record 37 points for a single quarter, going 13-for-13 from the field, including nine three-pointers (also a league record for a single quarter).
- March 8, 2015: Thompson hit three three-pointers against the Los Angeles Clippers to pass head coach Steve Kerr (726) on the NBA's all-time list.
- 2014-15 Season: Curry broke his own record for three-pointers (286), and Thompson again finished second in the league (239) as the two combined to make 525 threes, surpassing their previous record by 41.
- 2015-16 Season: The Warriors' NBA-record start ended at 24 wins when they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks on December 12. In the Warriors' next game, on December 16, Thompson scored 27 of his then season-high 43 points in the third quarter of their 128-103 win over the Phoenix Suns. On January 8, he recorded his third consecutive game with 30 or more points, finishing with 36 points in a 128-108 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. On January 27, he scored a season-high 45 points on 14-of-20 shooting in a 127-107 win over the Dallas Mavericks. The following night, he was named a Western Conference All-Star reserve for the 2016 NBA All-Star Game, earning his second straight All-Star nod. On February 13, he competed in the All-Star Weekend's Three-Point Contest and won the event after defeating Curry and Devin Booker in the final round. On March 25, he scored 40 points against the Dallas Mavericks. In Game 5 of the series against the Houston Rockets, Thompson became the first player in NBA history to make at least seven three-pointers in consecutive playoff games, as he helped the Warriors advance through to the second round with a 4-1 victory, stepping up with Curry out injured.
- 2016-17 Season: On December 5, 2016, Thompson scored a career-high 60 points (shooting 21-of-33 and 8-of-14 on three-pointers) in 29 minutes over just three quarters in a 142-106 victory over the Indiana Pacers, becoming the first player in NBA history to score 60 points in less than 30 minutes of action. Thompson had an NBA season-high and career-best performance for the highest-scoring output by a Warriors player in more than 42 years. His 40 first-half points tied him for second-most scored in a half over the past decade. Thompson also became the first Warrior to score 60 points since Hall of Famer Rick Barry's 64 on March 26, 1974, joining Barry and Naismith honorees Wilt Chamberlain and Joe Fulks as the only Warriors players to do so. On January 26, he was named a Western Conference All-Star reserve for the 2017 NBA All-Star Game. He participated in the Three-Point Contest, but he failed to defend his title as he was eliminated in the first round.
- 2017-18 Season: On October 29, 2017, Thompson scored 29 points in a 115-107 loss to the Detroit Pistons, becoming the eleventh player in franchise history to eclipse 9,000 career points. On December 20, 2017, he scored 27 of his 29 points in the first half and made his first nine field goals in a 97-84 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. On December 27, 2017, in a 126-101 win over the Utah Jazz, Thompson hit three three-pointers, moving him into a tie for third with Dana Barros at 89 consecutive games with a three-pointer. On January 17, 2018, he scored 38 points in a 119-112 victory over the Chicago Bulls. In a 134-127 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on February 22, 2018, Thompson moved past Joe Barry Carroll's 9,996 points to earn tenth place on the franchise's career scoring list, also becoming the tenth Warrior to reach 10,000 regular season career points. Two days later, in a 112-80 victory over the Thunder, Thompson passed Neil Johnston (10,023) for ninth place on the franchise's career scoring list. On March 31, 2018, following an eight-game absence with a broken right thumb, Thompson scored 25 points on 10-for-19 shooting in a 112-96 victory over the Sacramento Kings. On April 5, 2018, in a 126-106 loss to the Indiana Pacers, Thompson was 4-of-9 on 3-pointers to move past Tim Hardaway (1,542) for 25th on the league's career list. Three days later, Thompson scored 22 of his 34 points in the first quarter of the Warriors' 117-100 win over the Phoenix Suns. He helped the Warriors defeat the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs in five games, as he scored 24 points in a 99-91 victory in Game 5. As a result, Thompson joined Rick Barry (699) and Curry (652) as Warriors players with 600 postseason field goals. In Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the Houston Rockets, Thompson moved past Barry (1,776) for second place on the Warriors' career postseason scoring list. In Game 6, Thompson knocked down nine three-pointers on his way to 35 points, as the Warriors rallied from an early 17-point deficit to stave off elimination with a 115-86 victory over the Rockets. In Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Thompson played in his franchise-record 100th postseason game. He also became the sixth player ever to make 300 three-pointers in the postseason, joining Curry as Warriors to reach the feat.
- 2018-19 Season: On October 29, 2018, against the Chicago Bulls, he hit an NBA-record 14 threes to break Curry's former mark of 13. Thompson scored 52 points in 27 minutes while making 14-for-24 of his threes and shooting 18-for-29 overall from the field. His 10 three-pointers in the first half tied Chandler Parsons' league record set in 2014, and Golden State made 17 threes in the first half to set the NBA record for a half. On November 24, Thompson scored 31 points with five three-pointers in a 117-116 win over the Sacramento Kings. Thompson moved into 21st place on the NBA's career three-pointers list when he hit his 1,609th in the first quarter, moving past Jason Richardson. On December 29, Thompson had his second-highest scoring game of the season with 32 points in a 115-105 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. He shot his way out of a slump by hitting 12-of-21 from the field and 4-of-5 from 3-point range. On January 8, 2019, Thompson scored 43 points with seven 3-pointers in a 122-95 win over the New York Knicks. On January 21, he tied an NBA record by making his first 10 attempts from three-point range on his way to scoring 44 points in a 130-111 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Thompson finished 10-of-11 from beyond the arc and 17-of-20 from the floor overall. On March 8, he scored 39 points and made nine three-pointers in a 122-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets. On March 13, Thompson scored 30 points in a narrow 106-104 victory over the Houston Rockets.
- 2022 Playoffs: In Game 3 of the first round of the 2022 playoffs, Thompson scored 26 points in a 118-113 victory over the Denver Nuggets. In Game 1 of the Finals, Thompson passed LeBron James for second on the NBA playoffs all-time three-pointers list. In Game 5 of the Finals, Thompson joined teammate Stephen Curry and LeBron James as the only players in NBA history to make at least 100 three-pointers on the championship stage.
- 2022-23 Season: On November 20, Thompson scored a then season-high 41 points on 10-of-13 shooting from three-point range in a 127-120 victory over the Houston Rockets. On January 2, 2023, Thompson scored a season-high 54 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a 143-141 double overtime victory over the Atlanta Hawks. On February 6, he scored 42 points with a season-high 12 three-pointers in a 141-114 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. On February 24, Thompson scored 42 points and tied his season-high with 12 three-pointers in a 116-101 victory over the Rockets. Thompson became the only player in NBA history to record multiple games with 12 or more three-pointers in a season. He also has the most games in NBA History with 12 or more threes (3), having surpassed teammate Stephen Curry who has done it twice in his career. In the final game of the regular season, Thompson made his 300th three-pointer in a 157-101 blowout victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
- 2023-24 Season: On October 29, 2023, Thompson put up 19 points on five three-pointers made in a 106-95 victory against the Houston Rockets and surpassed Jamal Crawford for tenth on the all-time career three-pointers list.
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