They have been Warriors teammates for 10 seasons, most of that time locker buddies. Their lifestyle contrasts, one a family man, the other a relatively carefree bachelor. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson don’t have much in common.
But what they share is invaluable, and they seem to know.
“A lot of those are just our personalities,” Curry said after the Warriors’ victory over the Detroit Pistons at Chase Center on Saturday. “We really like the game. We love and appreciate what we both have – Draymond [Green] included – what we all add to the equation, how different we all are.
“But we have the same common goal: just try to win. And we have all found an identity in that, an appreciation for who we are as human beings. It all fits together. “
The Curry-Thompson chemistry was on display Saturday night, when Thompson held a post-game interview (to use the word lightly) with Curry after Golden State crushed Detroit.
In the aftermath of surgery on his Achilles tendon, Thompson was on the scene as a temporary correspondent for NBC Sports Bay Area. He spent a quarter with announcers Bob Fitzgerald and Kelenna Azubuike and was then given the main assignment to interview Curry.
They giggled before a question was asked.
Thompson: Steph, what’s going on man? I haven’t seen you in a while. “
Curry, laughing: “How are you, my husband?”
When Thompson asked Curry if he was going blind and punched in the head by a pass from Draymond Green – a funny face – Curry responded by saying that it happens with the high number of passes the Warriors make. Thompson agreed.
“We call that ‘ball head’,” said Curry. “I have ‘Spalding’ here on the side of my forehead.”
They went on for another minute, with Thompson asking Curry to predict when he will surpass Ray Allen and become the all-time leader in making 3-pointers. Thompson also asked Curry which of their fathers is the better color commentator, Dell Curry with the Charlotte Hornets or Mychal Thompson with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Told that Saturday was Mychal’s birthday, Curry called out a “Happy Birthday” but, to the appearance of disgust of Thompson, chose his father, who ripped off his headphones and walked down the stairs … to bump into Curry for the first time. when he left the track.
They kept smiling except to laugh, and then they walked side by side to the dressing room.
This isn’t Kyrie Irving and LeBron James winning a championship in Cleveland and having an uncomfortable breakup a year later. It’s not James Harden and the Revolving Door of Stars who brought in the Houston Rockets, looking for and unable to find the right complement. This isn’t the sometimes awkward Philadelphia alliance of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, or the Chris Paul-Blake Griffin dynamic that led to the Los Angeles Clippers breaking up a few years ago.
Curry and Thompson are more like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, but with a significantly heavier emphasis on humor. As often.
“I don’t think he knows how funny he is,” said Curry, the team’s No. 1 jokester, of his colleague Splash Brother. ‘That’s the best of it. It’s just who he is. He doesn’t even try. “
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All this joy comes more easily with the success the Warriors have had and the roles Curry and Thompson played in it. Curry is a six-time All-Star, and Thompson has made five All-Star teams. They went to five consecutive NBA Finals and won three.
And neither has cast subtle shadows at the other, let alone tried to force a break.
“We get sick of each other sometimes,” admitted Curry. And it’s nice to get away and all those normal, healthy relationships.
“But ultimately that is the chemistry we have built and the identity we have built over those many years. And of course, if you win at the highest level, they will only get stronger. I feel blessed with that vibe and then bring other guys who can live that out too. It’s pretty cool. “