Following the death of Jerry West on Wednesday, Michael Thompson explained the enormous impact the Hall of Famer had on the Warriors organization and his son, Klay Thompson.
speech “The Murph and Marcus Show” On KNBR on Thursday, Michael talked about how West was integral to keeping Klay in Golden State, even though the Warriors had considered trading for Klay early in his NBA career.
“He’s basically the guy that saved the Warriors dynasty. Without Jerry West, Klay wouldn’t have been with the Warriors,” Thompson said. “A few years later, he and Harrison Barnes would have been playing in Minnesota. [Timberwolves].
As has been widely reported, the Warriors were rumored to have explored the possibility of trading Thompson to the Timberwolves for All-Star forward Kevin Love.
But as former Warriors president and general manager Bob Myers pointed out earlier this week, Golden State never requested Love’s medical records and therefore never got closer to that trade.
West was part of Golden State’s executive team, joining the team in 2011 and staying until 2017, helping the Warriors build the core of a championship dynasty.
Thompson was asked if it was true that West had threatened to leave the Warriors if they traded Klay, and Michael explained how West resisted a potential trade for Love.
“He was very against the trade because Kevin Love was an All-NBA player at the time and averaging 27 points a game. [points per game] And 14 [rebounds per game] For the Minnesota Timberwolves,” Michael explained.
“He’s a player who has shown overwhelming strength in the front court, and the Warriors have been able to pair him with Steph. [Curry] It would have taken them to the next level. Maybe they would have done that, maybe they would have won a title together. But Jerry West saw potential in the Splash Brothers and he said, ‘If you move one of them, I’m outta here.'”
West’s instincts proved correct, as Thompson and Curry formed one of the best backcourt duos in NBA history, and the Splash Brothers’ versatility in shooting changed the face of the league and helped Golden State achieve dynasty status.
Michael talked about West’s famous pre-draft workout with his son, and Thompson talked about how West, then a Warriors executive, made his decision quickly.
“I was with Clay at a workout in LA and Jerry West and Joe Lacob were evaluating Clay,” Michael said. “I remember Jerry came up to me a couple minutes into the workout and said, ‘I’m going to draft him.’ He didn’t need to look any further. That’s the kind of guy Jerry was. He could just take one look and say, ‘Yes, this kid can do it.'”
Following his legendary playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers, West became one of the NBA’s best talent evaluators. After becoming the Lakers’ general manager in 1982, West built much of the “Showtime” dynasty that won five NBA titles in a decade. After struggling in the mid-90s, West rebuilt the franchise by signing free agent Shaquille O’Neal and drafting Kobe Bryant in 1996, leading the team into a dynasty that saw three consecutive championships.
Since joining Golden State in 2011, West has helped build the franchise into a championship contender and played a key role in selecting a young Thompson with the 11th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. The 2012 NBA Draft was another standout for West, as Golden State selected Harrison Barnes, Festus Ezeli and Draymond Green.
With that core in place, the Warriors rocketed into the NBA stratosphere a few years later, winning the 2015 NBA Finals and scoring a record five consecutive Finals appearances.
Who knows what would have happened with the Warriors if West hadn’t stepped in and kept Klay in the Bay Area.
Download and follow the Dubs Talk podcast
