The Warriors arguably have the best collection of talent in all of the NBA. Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green will likely represent the Warriors in the All-Star game this season. That’s how good this team is, they have four legitimate All-Star players in their starting line-up.
This success hasn’t been the norm for all of these players. With the exception of Durant, the other three had to fight their way into the NBA. Nothing was given, but they’ve worked their butt off and are now in a position where they can win multiple titles as long as this team is able to stay together.
Thompson is one of the players on this team who’s recent success is astonishing given how far they’ve come. The Splash Brother didn’t have many offers coming out of high school, but he blossomed into one of the most best two guards in the league. That’s not saying that Thompson didn’t have a stellar high school career. In fact, his alma mater will be honoring Thompson on Friday the 13th.
Santa Margarita Catholic High School will be retiring Thompson’s high school jersey and hanging it in the rafters of his old gym. Thompson led Santa Margarita to a state title in his senior year, scoring 37 points in the championship game.
For more information on the jersey retirement, here’s the official press release from the Golden State Warriors:
OAKLAND, Calif. – Warriors guard Klay Thompson will have his jersey retired by his alma mater, Santa Margarita Catholic High School, in a ceremony this Friday on campus, it was announced today. Thompson is slated to attend the ceremony, which will mark the school’s first basketball jersey retirement.
Thompson, who wore #1 in high school, averaged 22.1 points per game as a three-year varsity player at Santa Margarita. As a senior in 2007-08, Thompson earned Division III State Player of the Year honors, leading the Eagles to a 30-5 record and the Division III State Championship. He scored 37 points in the state title game, connecting on a state finals record seven three-pointers.
“Klay worked so hard in high school, and I’m so pleased with what’s happened to him because it was his dream to play in the NBA way back then,” said Jerry DeBusk, who coached Thompson during his high school career. “To have a player of Klay’s caliber represent his family, the team and the school is a big deal.”
Thompson, 26, is a two-time NBA All-Star who helped lead the Warriors to the NBA Championship in 2015, the fourth title in franchise history. The Washington State product was a starter for Golden State’s NBA-record 73-win team last season, and he set an NBA record for points in a quarter on January 23, 2015, scoring 37 points in the third frame.
The jersey retirement ceremony will take place on Friday, January 13, at Santa Margarita Catholic High School (22062 Antonio Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688) at 1:30 p.m. during a school-wide assembly.
For more information on the Golden State Warriors 2016-17 season, presented by Kaiser Permanente, visit warriors.com.