A visibly irate Klay Thompson found out from reporters Thursday afternoon that he didn’t make it onto any of the All-NBA teams this season.
Thompson, however, was quick to reason that he prefers championship rings to individual accomplishments: he was likely ticked off that the snub now makes him ineligible for a five-year supermax contract worth $221 million this summer.
Draymond Green, who was named to the All-Defensive second team, says Klay deserves a spot on the All-NBA first team.
Per ESPN:
“I didn’t? It already came out?” Thompson said after Thursday’s practice, before being told that he just missed being selected for the third team. “I mean that’s cool and all but like when you go to five straight Finals, I respect those guys but when you go to five straight it takes more than just a couple All-NBA guys. It’s like an all-time team, but whatever, I’d rather win a championship than be third-team All-NBA, so it’s all good.”
Both Thompson and the Warriors have said throughout the season that they were hopeful about getting a new deal done after the season ends. Warriors owner Joe Lacob recently told ESPN that he hoped Thompson and Warriors guard Stephen Curry would be with the organization “forever.”
“It is what it is,” Thompson said, when asked if he disliked the fact that All-NBA voting weighs so heavily on potential extra money in contracts. “I can’t control it. Do I think there’s that many guards better than me in the league? No. But that’s the reason we’re still playing so I don’t even want to get into it honestly.”
The easygoing Thompson relayed a confident answer when asked how he’s able to let the contract implications roll off his back so easily.
“Rings,” he said.
Related Klay Thompson: ‘It Would Be Awesome to Make All-Defensive Team’
