The Warriors lost at home for just the second time this season in a 112-104 defeat to the Pacers, who played a spirited game powered by their youthful roster. Also, superstar Steph Curry had a rare off night, scoring just 12 points on 3-for-17 shooting.
Curry’s Splash Brother, guard Klay Thompson, led the Warriors in scoring with 28. He also hit a couple of career milestones. Thompson passed two Hall of Fame players on the NBA all-time 3-point list, first rising above former Maverick Dirk Nowitzki before surpassing Bay Area native and legend, Jason Kidd.
Kidd, the current coach of the Mavericks, was born in San Francisco, attended high school in Alameda, and starred at UC Berkeley before he was drafted No. 2 overall in the 1994 NBA Draft by Dallas. He thrived with several NBA teams but won an NBA title with the Mavericks in 2011. He was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2018.
Also, it must be noted that Thompson is a far better shooter than Kidd ever was; Kidd was known for his point guard skills and didn’t develop a solid shot until late in his career.
So now Thompson is 13th in made 3-pointers in NBA history. It’s fitting that he nailed an impressive eight shots from distance during his performance against the Pacers and got Warriors fans in a frenzy as nobody else can, save for Curry.
Thompson also eclipsed 13,000 career points against Indiana. While that’s impressive, it’s also a tad bittersweet. Thompson missed two years of his prime with back-to-back devastating injuries. He should be at around 17,000 points and cruising toward 20,000, which is a classic benchmark for the best players in NBA history.
But everyone knows of Thompson’s greatness, and he’s a lock to make it to the Basketball Hall of Fame himself. And though he’s not a Bay Area basketball legend by birthright, he’s one of the brightest stars in the history of Bay Area hoops.
Perhaps best of all, he’s not nearly finished yet. Thompson is still in prime form and one of the best shooters the game has seen, and he’ll continue to pass other NBA legends on the all-time 3-point list in the years to come.
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