Klay’s Kicks

All-day Klay, Mr. Catch ‘n’ Shoot, Splash Bro(s) all great names for one of the greatest shooters in NBA history. Klay Thompson has made a name for himself on both ends of the floor since being drafted by the Warriors in 2011. A lot of players in the league can shoot, but Klay gets buckets with an effortlessness efficiency from every level of the court (up close, mid-range, 3-point land). He’s the only player to ever score 60 points in less than 30 minutes; think about that, that’s a made jumper ever minute! Insane (fun fact, Curry has never hit the 60pt mark). Nike was Klay’s shoe brand of choice spanning from his Washington State days to the midway point of the 2015 NBA season. Randomly, before the All-Star break, Thompson announced a multi-year deal with the Chinese brand Anta. The 2015 3-Point Competition was the hardwood debut of Anta and Klays relationship – initial thoughts were less than stellar. Peep the look on his face during their press release:

Anta had been signing NBA talent for some time, Klay joined ranks with Rajon Rondo, Chandler Parsons and Kevin Garnett in an attempt to break into the US market. Regrettably, I feel confident speaking for the sneaker community as a whole and no one wants to wear these shoes. Some models you’ll see momentarily have their aesthetic pros but as Randy Jackson infamously said, “Yeahhhh, that’s gonna be a no for me dawg.” With that said, he’s had Finals/ Playoffs success unlike many of his contemporaries. It’s often forgotten but Klay has more championships than anyone in the league (not named Steph Curry) since the 2008 season. Now to the fun stuff, lets take a look back at Klay Thompson’s best Finals kicks! Be sure to watch tomorrow night to see if Klay breaks out some Finals edition shoes for 2018.

The Golden Child

Shoe: Anta KT3 Gold Blooded
When: 2017 regular season
Outcome: A legitimately good looking shoe
Stats: 20 ppg; 48% fg; 44% 3fg
Notes: Easily the best looking Thompson shoe; this colorway and the All-star edition were high notes.

Sweet Revenge

Shoe: Anta KT2 Chase Collection 
When: 2017 NBA Finals
Outcome: Series win
Stats: 15 ppg; 4 rpg
Notes: In a move similar to Anta’s competitors they released ‘home’ and ‘away’ editions for the Finals.

Numero Uno

Shoe: Anta KT1 Playoffs
When: 2016 NBA Finals
Outcome: … Blew a 3-1 series lead… just saying… loss
Stats: 24.3 ppg; 4 rpg
Notes: Like the Chase Collection, a two pair set released under the Playoffs limelight. They’re not the best looking pair but Klay had his career best individual Finals series.

Lord of the Ring

Shoe: Anta KT Fire
When: 2015 NBA Finals
Outcome: First NBA Championship
Stats: 18.6 ppg; 4 rpg
Notes: The numbering of the KT line gets confusing when including the KT Fire; AKA the Fires are technically the Thompson 1. The most common knock against the KT line comes from the design- they look fufu Hyperdunks.