Last season, Klay Thompson’s four-rings gesture to Devin Booker garnered significant attention. Thompson is not known for trash-talking, so watching his interactions with Booker was interesting. Athletes passionate about the game they play often engage in heated discussions. One should not, therefore, attempt to characterize Klay in any unfair way. Two of the best players in the game were giving each other their best efforts. Thompson does not deserve attacks about his trash-talking resulting in a loss to the Phoenix Suns or a failure to win the NBA Championship last season. To attribute that level of significance to Klay Thompson’s “four-rings gesture” is to succumb to ignorance.
Without question, Thompson is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He merits genuine respect when one steps on the court against him. If a player desires to spar with him verbally, that player should be willing to accept Klay’s reminder that he has four NBA Championship rings.
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Klay Thompson’s four-rings gesture
In a reflective state on “Podcast P with Paul George,” Thompson expressed that he should not have used his four NBA Championship rings as tools to attempt to shame Devin Booker. Booker, of course, has never won an NBA Championship. When one player has never won an NBA Championship, and another player emphasizes he has, this can be viewed by the target of the ridicule as an insulting metaphorical low blow.
Klay Thompson usually lets his phenomenal basketball talent speak for him. After the ridiculous amount of attention this incident has received, I expect Thompson to be much more judicious about how he reacts to opposing teams’ players.
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Parting Thoughts
Although Klay Thompson is genuinely embarrassed by his “four-rings gesture,” I found nothing wrong with it. Devin Booker engaged him in a competitive verbal battle, and Booker took offense to two truths: Klay has won four NBA Championships, and he has the four NBA Championships rings on his fingers to prove it. Booker might want to strengthen his trash-talking before he tries Klay again.
