Klay Thompson has been steadily working his way back from his Achilles injury (suffered after his torn ACL) and is hopeful to return to the Warriors lineup for the first time in two years in January.
In the meantime, he’s been rehabbing, boating, and other Klay-type activities. This week, he’s also been posting a lot to Instagram about his frustrations with the NBA’s 75 Greatest Players list (that was actually 76 names long) after he was not among those who made it, saying he guessed people didn’t care about winning as much as him. Thompson wasn’t at the top of most people’s snubs list — Dwight Howard and Tracy McGrady were, for many, the most egregious exclusions — but his resume is quite impressive and, as is the case with any elite athlete, he thinks highly of his accomplishments and skills.
His Warriors teammates have noticed his gripes and decided to mess with Klay on Saturday, getting him a new jersey with the number 77 in honor of him being just outside the cut line for the top 76. Draymond and Steph found it hilarious, while Klay unsurprisingly played into it and wore it around the facility as he worked out.
Steph’s reaction in particular to seeing it is great, and Klay wearing it with pride is how you’d expect him to take the joke. I don’t think he’s going to make the pivot full-time to No. 77, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we see that jersey out on the boat at some point.
