Klay Thompson compares himself to NBA legend who came off bench

Klay Thompson came off the bench on Thursday night for the first time since his rookie season, and the Golden State Warriors star said thinking about one particular NBA legend helped him embrace the role.

Thompson led the Warriors to a 140-137 win over the Utah Jazz with 35 points and 6 rebounds. He went 7-of-13 from 3-point range. After the game, Thompson told reporters that he got into the right mindset by thinking about the career former San Antonio Spurs star Manu Ginobili had.

“I thought about Manu Ginobili. That guy has four rings and a gold medal,” Thompson said. “Came off the bench his whole career, and I don’t think anyone looks down on his Hall of Fame candidacy. He’s one of the greats. I embraced it before tip.”

Ginobili won four NBA titles with the Spurs and played a key role on all of those teams. He came off the bench for almost his entire career.

Thompson also said he realized he is going to “play a ton of minutes” even if he does not start the game on the floor. He said he has to “let the ego go” even if he is not technically a starter.