‘It hurts my heart’: Warriors’ Klay Thompson responds to comments from Charles Barkley

Klay Thompson has put in a lot of work in recent years to turn his NBA career around after two serious injuries. However, it seems that Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley can’t seem to get past it.

Earlier this week, the Warriors were defeated by the Phoenix Suns 134-105, with Thompson receiving his first-ever NBA ejection.

“There was a time when Klay Thompson was the best two-way guard in the NBA, and he’s not the same guy,” Charles Barkley said on TNT’s Inside the NBA after the game.

And that’s because of injuries. Now, is he ready? No, I don’t think he’s ready. I think he’s slowing down and it’s catching up with him. That’s why he’s frustrated.’

Thompson took offense at those comments, saying they didn’t reflect the amount of work he had to put in to come back and help the Warriors win another NBA title.

“It hurts when someone like Charles Barkley, with the platform he has, says you’re not the same player you were before the injuries you had. It’s like, no duh, man,” Thompson said after last night’s game — a win over the Miami Heat where Klay took 19 points and shot 5-14 from a three-point range.

“I tore my ACL and my Achilles tendon in consecutive years and still helped a team to a championship. I mean, that hurt to hear that. Because it is, man, I’ve gone to so much trouble to get back to this point. For example, it’s hard to put into words what I had to do to be the player I am today.’

Klay Thompson took offense at Barkley’s comments, saying ‘I went to so much trouble to come back’

“I’ve played 55, 57 games in three years, give me some time to get that back. To hear someone say, “Oh, he’s not the same as before the injuries.” Like, duh.

‘Who goes through something like this and comes back? I don’t know, it just hurt my heart to hear that. But you know what? I’m going to internalize it and it will fuel me to get even better.

“I am very proud of what we achieved last year and I feel like I was a big part of that. I don’t let these injuries be a mainstay for me. I’m just going to keep going and I’m going to have a great year. Bet on that.’

Fellow fighter Steph Curry laughed at Barkley’s comments, saying ‘certain guys kind of forget what their careers looked like at the back’

Klay’s colleague ‘Splash Brother’ Steph Curry came to his rescue and threw a jab at Barkley at the end.

“The comments are, you know, part of our success where you’ll always be in the spotlight and people care about how you play and care about reacting positively or negatively because they know that’s going to move the needle . And if you say certain things, people will pay attention.

“It’s interesting because… certain guys kind of forget about what their careers looked like in the back, so you can throw those bricks and toss a bit. But, you know, Klay was standing here, as you said, helping us win a championship after two hellish years he’d had.”

Thompson has won four NBA titles with the Warriors in his 11-year career. Barkley never got a ring in his 16-year NBA career with the 76ers, Suns and Rockets.