“Father time is undefeated!” Shaquille O’Neal gives a ‘harsh’ reality amid ongoing debacle with Klay Thompson over his no-show for the Warriors 

Klay Thompson is going through an extremely rough patch during the ongoing NBA season.

“Father time is undefeated!” Shaquille O’Neal gives a ‘harsh’ reality amid ongoing debacle with Klay Thompson over his no-show for the Warriors 

Shaquille O’Neal (Left) and Klay Thompson (Right) (via Open Source/X)

Klay Thompson and the Golden State Warriors could be approaching a pivotal moment. Recently, during the final minutes of a game against the Nets at Barclays Centre, Thompson, a four-time champ, found himself once more removed from play. The Warriors trailed in the fourth quarter, with Klay enduring a rough night on the court, shooting just four for nine overall and none for three from beyond the arc.

Klay got subbed out with seven minutes left on the clock and never returned. The Dubs then went on and clinched a 98-109 victory, marking a remarkable turnaround post-Klay’s substitution. Following the game, the TNT crew consisting of Shaquille O’Neal, Jamal Crawford, and Candice Parker tackled Klay Thompson’s declining performance. Shaq dove deep into the topic, expressing his sentiments about Klay to his fellow analysts.

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Los Angeles legend, Shaquille O’Neal had this to say about Klay Thompson:

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When you’re at a 10 most of your career, and you start going to 8, it’s hard to believe, but you have the mentality that you say ‘Imma get it back. We get older, but you know, Father Time is undefeated, and he can gladly say that he is one of those players that Father Time defeated.

Shaq proceeded to reflect on his own encounter with Father Time, acknowledging his eventual decline into obscurity after reaching a certain stage. He contrasted this with LeBron James, highlighting how Father Time seemingly hasn’t caught up with him yet. Even as LeBron approaches his forties in a few months, he continues to showcase his athleticism, still throwing down windmill dunks during games.

However, according to Shaq’s co-host, Jamal Crawford, Klay’s struggles aren’t necessarily attributed to Father Time. Crawford believes that Klay is actually having a decent season, although it may not match his typical standards.

In Crawford’s perspective, Klay should refrain from constantly comparing himself to his past performance. Instead, try to adopt a more realistic approach by setting achievable goals and standards for himself.

Klay Thompson’s reaction to being benched against the Brooklyn Nets

Klay Thompson is currently enduring what could be considered his most challenging season since he assumed the role of starter for the Warriors in 2012-13. This is highlighted by a recent rough shooting patch, with percentages plummeting to 32.5% from the field and a mere 16% from beyond the arc over the past week. In a strategic move, Warriors coach Steve Kerr chose to bench Thompson for the final seven minutes of Monday’s 109-98 triumph against the Brooklyn Nets.

Klay Thompson
Klay Thompson (via Open Source/X)

After the victory, Thompson addressed his shooting slump with reporters in the locker room, where he was asked about not closing out games by Athletic’s Anthony Slater. He said,

I feel great physically, mentally is probably a different story. At the end of the day, winning trumps all. Yeah, you kidding me? To go from one of the best players, it’s hard for anybody. I’ll be honest with you, it’s very hard. I’m happy for these young guys, honestly, and yeah, we won. It’s hard to get wins in this league.

In the game’s closing moments, Kerr opted for Gui Santos, a second-round pick from 2022 with only nine NBA games under his belt.

After the game, Coach Kerr relayed his decision to reporters.

If a group's playing well, you just stay with that group. They were really competing and making plays. [Thompson]'s fine. This is a season where he's had a lot of ups and downs and it's not easy for a guy whose been so good.

This season, Thompson’s shooting percentages have dropped to career lows, with 41.5% from the field and 37.1% from three-point range. Despite these challenges, the Warriors press on with their upcoming fixtures, facing off against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.

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