Klay Thompson Closing Game 5 Will Be The Hardest

The Warriors are in a familiar place heading into Game 5 of their semifinal series, with Memphis leading 3-1. The sale match won’t be easier to win after escaping San Francisco with a 101-98 win on Monday. After all, the NBA playoffs require teams to seek whatever edge they can in a competitive playoff series. After missing the last 2½ seasons due to injuries to his left ACL (2019-20) and the right Achilles tendon (2020-21). Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson definitely follows that routine. But as the Warriors enter Game 5 of their conference semifinal series against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday (10 ET, TNT). Thompson also tries to achieve a healthy work-life balance.

To help maintain perspective during the Warriors postseason game. “Balance is key, even during this time of the playoff emotional roller coaster,” Thompson told NBA.com. “Whether it’s reading or walking your dog or taking a boat or biking. I try to think of simple things that make me happy.” Thompson had often tried to enjoy the simple things during his nine-year career in the NBA. Warriors coach Steve Kerr has also encouraged his players to “fill their cup.” The philosophy that was first taught by Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is to keep players from getting tired. Over 82 regular season NBA games and a long playoff push. In his first postseason since 2019, Thompson has hit a record high with his first-round shooting performance against Denver. (49.6% overall) And lowest on a score against Memphis (36.3% overall).

Can Always Maintain a Competing Mental

To stay level-headed between the good and the bad, Thompson has looked for other ways to keep him busy. “Boats, fishing, and being in the ocean are good medicine for that,” Thompson said. “There’s more to life than the NBA’s Internet and Twitter. You realize you can’t take work home all the time.” Thompson has consumed far more enjoyable reading material than just his press clippings and manuals. He has studied basketball books, ranking David Halberstam’s “The Breaks of the Game” as the best book about the NBA. He had just finished “Young, Black, Rich and Famous” by Todd Boyd. Which details how the NBA and hip-hop are becoming more accepted by mainstream audiences.

And he’s currently reading Sam Smith’s “Hard Labor,” which details the history between the NBA and players’ union negotiations over labor issues. Thompson also enjoys books about the outdoors. He enjoyed Carlos Eyles’ “The Last Blue Water Hunter” and Peter Freuchen’s “Book of the Seven Seas”. After the reading session, Thompson became inspired to enjoy the water.

He would often ride his Axopar 37 Cabin boat around the Bay Area on holidays. As well as using it to commute to and from practice and games so he can enjoy the breeze. Instead of feeling frustrated with heavy road traffic. Thompson describes the routine as a calming and surreal feeling. Which boosted his spirits after a bad performance and kept him grounded after a memorable event.

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