Career Timeline of Klay Thompson: Major Achievements and Milestones

How Klay Thompson built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Klay Thompson is an American professional basketball player currently playing for the Dallas Mavericks. He's renowned as one of the NBA's premier three-point shooters. Most of his career was with the Golden State Warriors as part of the 'Splash Brothers', where he won four NBA championships. Thompson is a five-time NBA All-Star, a two-time All-NBA Third Team selection, and an NBA All-Defensive Second Team member. He has also won gold medals representing the United States in the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

2011: Declared for the NBA draft

In 2011, Klay Thompson declared for the NBA draft after his junior season.

2011: Drafted into NBA

In 2011, Klay Thompson was selected in the first round of the NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors as the 11th overall pick.

February 2012: Improved Performance After All-Star Snub

In February 2012, Klay Thompson significantly improved his performance after not being selected for the NBA All-Star Weekend Rising Stars Challenge, increasing his points per game, shooting percentage, rebounds, assists, and steals.

March 13, 2012: Ellis Traded to Bucks

On March 13, 2012, the Warriors traded Ellis to the Milwaukee Bucks.

January 29, 2013: Season-High Score Against Cavaliers

On January 29, 2013, Klay Thompson scored a season-high 32 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

May 8, 2013: Playoff Career-High Score and Rebounds

On May 8, 2013, Klay Thompson recorded a playoff career-high 34 points and 14 rebounds against the San Antonio Spurs.

October 31, 2014: Signed Contract Extension with Warriors

On October 31, 2014, Klay Thompson signed a four-year contract extension with the Golden State Warriors.

January 23, 2015: Career-High 52 Points and Record-Breaking Quarter

On January 23, 2015, Klay Thompson scored a career-high 52 points against the Sacramento Kings, including an NBA-record 37 points in the third quarter with 13-for-13 shooting from the field and nine three-pointers.

January 29, 2015: Named All-Star Reserve

On January 29, 2015, Klay Thompson was named a reserve for the 2015 Western Conference All-Star team for the first time in his career.

2015: NBA Championship Win

In 2015, Klay Thompson and his father became the fourth father-son duo to win an NBA title, joining other notable pairs in NBA history. This 2015 win marked a significant milestone in Thompson's career.

2015: Won First NBA Championship

In 2015, Klay Thompson helped lead the Golden State Warriors to their first NBA championship since 1975.

December 5, 2016: Career-High 60 Points in 29 Minutes

On December 5, 2016, Klay Thompson scored a career-high 60 points in just 29 minutes during a 142–106 victory over the Indiana Pacers, becoming the first player in NBA history to score 60 points in less than 30 minutes of action.

2016: Warriors Advance Through Playoffs

In 2016, Klay Thompson helped the Warriors advance through the playoffs, becoming the first player in NBA history to make at least seven three-pointers in consecutive playoff games, leading to the Warriors win against the Houston Rockets.

2016: Thompson Signs Deal with Anta

In 2016, Klay Thompson signed a 10-year deal with the Chinese shoe company Anta, becoming one of the few NBA players sponsored by the brand.

2016: Won Three-Point Contest and Named All-Star Reserve

In 2016, Klay Thompson was named a Western Conference All-Star reserve for the NBA All-Star Game for the second straight year and won the All-Star Weekend's Three-Point Contest.

April 4, 2017: Scored 41 Points Against Timberwolves

On April 4, 2017, Klay Thompson scored 41 points in a 121–107 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

October 2017: Fundraising for Northern California Wildfire Relief

In late October 2017, Klay Thompson participated in fundraising efforts for the October 2017 Northern California wildfires, donating $1,000 for every point he scored in home games against the Washington Wizards, Toronto Raptors, and Detroit Pistons. With matching donations, he raised $360,374 by scoring 69 points.

October 29, 2017: Thompson reaches 9,000 career points

On October 29, 2017, Klay Thompson scored 29 points in a loss to the Detroit Pistons, surpassing 9,000 career points and becoming the eleventh player in franchise history to achieve this milestone.

December 20, 2017: Thompson scores 27 first-half points against Grizzlies

On December 20, 2017, Klay Thompson scored 27 of his 29 points in the first half of a game against the Memphis Grizzlies. He made his first nine field goals during the game, contributing to a 97–84 victory.

December 27, 2017: Thompson Ties Consecutive Game Three-Pointer Record

On December 27, 2017, during a game against the Utah Jazz, Klay Thompson made three three-pointers. This achievement tied him for third place with Dana Barros for consecutive games with a three-pointer.

2017: NBA Championship

In 2017, Klay Thompson and the Warriors avenged their 2016 finals loss, winning another NBA title.

2017: Warriors Win 2017 NBA Championship

In 2017, Klay Thompson helped the Warriors secure their second NBA championship in three years, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-1 in the NBA Finals. The Warriors completed the playoffs with a 16-1 record, achieving the best postseason winning percentage in NBA history.

January 17, 2018: Thompson Scores 38 Points Against Bulls

On January 17, 2018, Klay Thompson scored 38 points in a 119-112 victory over the Chicago Bulls, marking a significant performance during the season.

February 22, 2018: Thompson Enters Top 10 in Warriors Career Scoring

On February 22, 2018, Klay Thompson surpassed Joe Barry Carroll's scoring record to enter the top 10 in the Warriors' career scoring list during a game against the Los Angeles Clippers. He also reached 10,000 regular season career points, becoming the tenth Warrior to hit this milestone.

March 31, 2018: Thompson Returns From Injury with 25 Points

On March 31, 2018, Klay Thompson returned from an eight-game absence due to a broken right thumb. He scored 25 points in a victory against the Sacramento Kings.

April 5, 2018: Thompson Moves Up Career Three-Pointers List

On April 5, 2018, Klay Thompson moved past Tim Hardaway on the league's career list for 3-pointers during a loss to the Indiana Pacers, marking another milestone in his career.

October 29, 2018: Thompson Sets NBA Record with 14 Three-Pointers

On October 29, 2018, Klay Thompson set a new NBA record by making 14 three-pointers in a game against the Chicago Bulls, surpassing Stephen Curry's previous record of 13. He scored 52 points in just 27 minutes during the game.

2018: NBA Championship

In 2018, Klay Thompson and the Warriors won another NBA title.

July 1, 2019: Thompson Agrees to Five-Year Contract with Warriors

On July 1, 2019, Klay Thompson agreed to a five-year, $190 million maximum contract with the Warriors, including a trade kicker. This came after he didn't make an All-NBA Team, which would have made him eligible for a supermax deal.

2019: Thompson Tears ACL in Game 6 of NBA Finals

In Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals, Klay Thompson tore his ACL and exited the game with 30 points. The Warriors lost both the game and the series. He finished the playoffs with 374 career postseason three-pointers, trailing only Stephen Curry and Ray Allen.

September 2020: Thompson returns to practice with the Warriors

In September 2020, Klay Thompson returned to practice with the Warriors, signaling progress in his recovery.

November 28, 2021: Thompson Assigned to Santa Cruz Warriors for Rehab

On November 28, 2021, Klay Thompson, along with James Wiseman, was assigned to the Santa Cruz Warriors, the Golden State's NBA G League affiliate, for rehabilitation purposes.

2021: Return from Injury

After missing over two and a half years due to injury, Klay Thompson returned in the middle of the 2021-22 season.

January 8, 2022: Thompson Announces Return Date

On January 8, 2022, Klay Thompson announced his return to the court, scheduling his comeback for January 9 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

2022: Another Father-Son Duo NBA Title

In 2022, Gary Payton and Gary Payton II joined the list of father-son duos to win an NBA title. Gary Payton II was Klay Thompson's teammate at the time, marking the continuation of father-son legacies in the NBA in 2022.

2022: Thompson Reaches Sixth NBA Finals

In 2022, Klay Thompson helped the Warriors advance to his sixth NBA Finals after defeating the Dallas Mavericks. They then faced the Boston Celtics in the Finals.

2022: Warriors defeat Boston Celtics

In 2022, Klay Thompson scored a game-high 34 points in a 123–107 victory over the Boston Celtics.

2022: Won Fourth NBA Title

In 2022, Klay Thompson won his fourth NBA title.

January 2, 2023: Thompson Scores Season-High 54 Points

On January 2, 2023, Klay Thompson achieved a season-high of 54 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a double overtime victory against the Atlanta Hawks.

October 29, 2023: Thompson Surpasses Crawford on All-Time Three-Pointers List

On October 29, 2023, Klay Thompson scored 19 points with five three-pointers in a win against the Houston Rockets, surpassing Jamal Crawford for tenth place on the all-time career three-pointers list.

February 15, 2024: Thompson Comes Off Bench and Scores Season-High

On February 15, 2024, Klay Thompson came off the bench for the first time since March 11, 2012. He scored a season-high 35 points and surpassed 15,000 points in his career.

July 6, 2024: Thompson Traded to Mavericks in Six-Team Deal

On July 6, 2024, Klay Thompson, after 13 years with the Warriors, was traded to the Dallas Mavericks as part of the NBA's first-ever six-team transaction involving multiple other teams.