Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson has built a reputation for his performances on one particular occasion. “Game 6 Klay” has become a name feared by Warriors opponents in the playoffs, as the California native has torched opposing teams for the past decade of Game 6 matchups.
Now, in his sixth Finals appearance in eight years, the 32 year old faces another opportunity for an iconic “Game 6 Klay” performance as his team looks to end their series against the Boston Celtics on Thursday night. At least, that’s how Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young sees it.
During a dominant performance from Thompson in Game 5 of the Finals on Tuesday, which saw Klay drop 21 points as the Warriors took a 3-2 lead in the series, Young took to Twitter, prophesying another historic “Game 6 Klay” appearance.
The legend of “Game 6 Klay” started in 2016, when Thompson and the Warriors faced off against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. The Warriors started the series slow, falling to a 3-1 record in the series entering Game 5. The Warriors survived Game 5 off incredible performances from Thompson and teammate Steph Curry, but their night was dwarfed in comparison to the following game.
With their season on the line Thompson exploded, and shredded the Thunder defense to the tune of 41 points. Additionally, he hit 11 3-pointers, a then playoff record. He carried his team to a win, and they ended up coming back to win the series.
In his last Game 6 outing, Thompson lived up to the name and dropped 30 points to help the Warriors beat the Grizzlies in the second round of this year’s playoffs.