Last week, while deleting old numbers from his iPhone’s contacts list, Darren Erman came across a series of text exchanges with Warriors guard Klay Thompson from July 2012.
In one conversation, Thompson tried feigning a stomachache to get excused from a summer workout. Erman, a former Golden State assistant coach, chuckled at the memory. When Thompson eventually showed up that day to Golden State’s practice facility, he aced an intensive, defense-oriented session.
“That definitely was a big summer for me,” Thompson said after practice Friday afternoon.
Arguably one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, Thompson’s offensive prowess often overshadows the fact that he is an elite perimeter defender.