No one knew for sure at the time, but when the Golden State Warriors selected Klay Thompson with the 11th pick of the 2011 NBA Draft, they were already building a world-class backcourt together with Steph Curry, the so-called “Splash Brothers.”
But once again, greatness rarely comes easy. As Thompson can attest, his relationship with Curry did not begin in the best of ways. In fact, it took the Splash Brothers years before they built a relationship that would lead them to success.
Speaking on the P Podcast with Paul George presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment, the Warriors’ longtime shooting guard revealed when the chemistry between him and Curry off the court clicked.
“I don’t think Steph Curry and I said a word to each other the first year, to be honest. Steph only played 20 games that year, I was on the bench for the first 30 games of the year. We didn’t talk to each other much. Our relationship only solidified after the third year, when we played for Team USA and finally hung out off the court.”.
“I don’t think me & Steph. [Curry] said a word to each other the first year … Our relationship really didn’t build until our third year when we played for that Team USA and we finally hung out off the court.”
-Klay Thompson
(via @PodcastPShow)pic.twitter.com/OP6HiE3H5z
– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 9, 2023
The year Klay Thompson refers to regarding Steph Curry and the Splash Brothers is 2014, when Team USA participated in the FIBA World Cup in Spain, winning the gold medal.
This was before the Warriors became the powerhouse we came to know during the mid-to-late 2010s, and evidently Thompson’s bond with Stephen Curry proved pivotal in lifting a team back from a first-round exit to legitimate title contention.
Read also: Pozzecco, from watching yards in Formentera to the World Cup with Italy. And on Banchero.
