Klay Thompson enters his first season with the Miami Heat brimming with motivation and focused on adding a new chapter to his already legendary NBA career. A four-time NBA champion and one of the greatest shooters in league history, Thompson is determined to help the Heat chase another title—and pass some of his own idols in the record books along the way.
Picked up by Miami after a summer buyout from Dallas, the 36-year-old Thompson joins a new-look roster featuring Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, and other key additions. “Being with the Heat gives me that opportunity. They’re wholly committed to winning. And I’ve said this before: winning trumps any individual performance I’ve ever had,” Thompson said after his first training camp practice.
Thompson’s résumé is remarkable:
11 seasons with at least 200 made 3-pointers (second only to Stephen Curry)
2,899 career threes, just 74 shy of Ray Allen for third all-time and closing in on the 3,000 mark
Only NBA player with at least 200 made threes in each of the last four seasons—even as a part-time starter
Coach Erik Spoelstra praised Thompson’s championship pedigree and sees him thriving in a role similar to Ray Allen’s during Miami’s Big Three era. “We can take from those experiences. And I think also he can be excited about this possibility of a new experience… and a different culture,” Spoelstra said.
Thompson, a career 41% shooter from deep, remains driven: “I hopefully one day get the chance to be in the Hall, but before that I still feel like I have so much left to give this game. The records even matter to me. I want to still climb up the record books… and the fact that I have a chance to pass Ray [Allen] in a Heat uniform, that gives me so much motivation to keep going.”
With championship aspirations and a powerful supporting cast, Thompson and the Heat are poised to make plenty of noise in a stacked Eastern Conference this season.
