Warriors Update: 'Disappointed' Klay Thompson Reveals What Fuels Him To Prove Himself In Return

As he edges closer to his return, Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson is being motivated by a seemingly unexpected event.

Thompson was among the few NBA stars and legends who had been vocal about their disappointment over being snubbed in the league’s official list of 75 greatest players of all time.

Now that he is close to finally making his NBA comeback, Thompson admitted that he is still “disappointed” by the snub and that he is using it as “motivation” to prove that he’s a world-class player.

According to Thompson, the NBA already wrote him off in the All-NBA list when he was at his best in 2019 and the NBA 75 team snub certainly adds “fuel to the fire.”

"Yeah, I was disappointed just because I know back in 2019, the last time I was healthy, I wasn't able to make All-NBA and this again, and that's fine," Thompson recently told ESPN.

“I voiced my frustration, and now it's time for me to get back on the court and prove them why I should be on the list,” he continued. “Honestly, I think that was meant to happen. I needed that fuel for the fire. I needed that motivation to come back and be one of the best in the world again."

Indeed, prior to tearing his ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors, Thompson was playing exceptional basketball, registering an impressive 21.5 points per game.

Atop that, the five-time NBA All-Star had consistently averaged at least 20 points per game in the previous four seasons, a remarkable stint that was enough to convince Warriors head coach Steve Kerr that his sharpshooting guard deserved a spot in the NBA 75 team.

"Klay's accomplished pretty much everything,” Kerr previously reckoned. “He's a multi-time champion, a multi-time All-Star, one of the great 3-point shooters ever. He's already competitive, but if that's what it takes to make him more competitive, then we'll take it."

"I definitely think both guys [Thompson and Green] are top 75, just based on winning and two-way basketball and everything that really matters more than statistics and anything related to numbers," he argued. "What matters is if you're winning championships, and that's what counts. I would have hoped and thought that both guys would be on there."

As it stands, Thompson has now begun playing 3-on-3 games during team practices and is getting closer to being fully cleared by his doctors.