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Transcript
00:00If you're wondering what the NBA record is for most points in a quarter, you just watched it.
00:06On 95-7, the game.
00:09Alright, that was Bob Fitzgerald on the call.
00:13NBC Sports, Bay Area, Clay Thompson's 37-point quarter against the Sacramento Kings.
00:21Hey, listen, Clay Thompson makes his return tonight to the Bay Area.
00:25And make sure to listen all day today because we're going to give you an opportunity to win a Clay Thompson jersey.
00:31It's in the 12 o'clock hour today on our show.
00:36And then the 4 o'clock hour during Willard and Dibb's show, you have a shot to get a Clay Thompson jersey.
00:43That's going to be at noon, will be your first crack at it.
00:46And then at 4 with Willard and Dibb's.
00:49But Darrell, The Guru Johnson and myself are out here at Thrive City.
00:55Having a good time talking about Clay Thompson and his return, Gu.
00:59And seeing all the nice people coming up giving us love, Stony. Nothing better than that, man.
01:03Yeah, that's always a good thing.
01:07We're on remote. That's a nice car right there.
01:11EQ5 Mercedes.
01:13They're just bringing out EQ.
01:15There's a lot going on here at Thrive City.
01:17So if you're down here, come by and say hello.
01:22Let's go out to Amy in Alameda.
01:25What's going on, Amy? How you doing?
01:28Hi, I'm good. Thanks for your show.
01:31I just wanted to say about Clay, you know, I am a diehard Warriors fan.
01:35I got my Warriors sweatshirt on right now.
01:37I'm on my way to school. I'm going to not even come home.
01:40I'm going to stop at a bar and watch the game after school is out.
01:43And I wanted to just say about Clay, you know, I think, of course, he's going to be a little bit salty.
01:48But also, he is trying to establish himself in a new team with new fans.
01:54He can't make statements about how he still has love for his old team.
01:58So I can understand that.
02:00Plus, Fairweather fans were not nice to him when he needed the most support.
02:06And so I get it. You know, I'm always going to root for the Warriors.
02:09And I'm going to root for Clay, too, as long as he's not playing against us.
02:14But, you know, other than that, I'm going to support him because I'm so grateful for everything that he did for us.
02:20Really uplifting our cities, uplifting our area, uplifting the sport.
02:24All of that, I will always.
02:26So if he wants to be upset, you know, his feelings are hurt, I get it.
02:30I give him a pass.
02:32Thanks, Amy. Appreciate the call.
02:34So Amy's basically, if I could, what I got from her, 34 from Clay tonight.
02:39Warriors win by six.
02:41Yeah, something like that.
02:43You know, the one thing that just crossed my mind during the break when I was thinking about Clay Thompson, Steph Curry, and Tremine Green.
02:51Is Clay the best all-around player of the three of them?
02:55There's no doubt.
02:57Curry's closed that gap.
03:00Yeah, you asked me a question, I answered it.
03:03And the chef, we love him.
03:05There used to be an old saying before the chef improved his D, that Clay used to guard two men.
03:10You know, he would guard Steph.
03:12I never heard that joke.
03:14Well, it wasn't a joke, I'm just saying.
03:16The chef knows I love him, but he's an all-time iconic.
03:19But you said, you hated my phrase years ago, we got into it, two-way player.
03:24I believe he was their best two-way player.
03:27He was in his prime, Clay.
03:29Yeah, I mean, look, he scored 25 a game and defended the best guard on the other team.
03:34And did it at an incredibly high level.
03:37Whether it was Westbrook, whether it was Harden, whether it was John Morant, anybody.
03:45Let's go to Steve in Fairfield.
03:47What's going on, Steve? How you doing, man?
03:50Hey, guys, thanks for taking my call.
03:52Sure.
03:53I'm going to miss Clay a bunch like everybody else, and I already do miss him a bunch.
03:59Steve Kerr is a great coach, but you used the word disingenuous, and you were right on.
04:04If you remember what happened in his last year, he was benched for Brandon.
04:08And he was coming off the bench.
04:09There was a lot of meetings going on between Clay and Kerr, trying to figure things out.
04:14Clay wanted a bigger role.
04:16Clay came back to being a starter.
04:18The whole contract situation.
04:20And I like Steve, but what Steve was coming out to the media and saying, and I'm going to quote him,
04:24he was saying, we're desperate, we love Clay, we're desperate to get him back.
04:27But the Warriors weren't acting desperate to get him back.
04:32Desperate is, look, man, I'll pay whatever you want.
04:34Let's have you.
04:35What contract did you want?
04:37And I know the Warriors had their reasons for that and solid reasons for that.
04:40But they were disingenuous.
04:42You don't come out to the media on several, multiple interviews and saying, we're desperate.
04:47We love Clay.
04:48We definitely want him back, when you know that's not the case.
04:51That's the only mistake I would put on the Warriors.
04:53And I think that's left a little bit of a bad taste in his mouth.
04:56I think he's going to have to have a long sit down with Steve Kerr someday.
04:59But I think they'll patch it all up.
05:01I really do.
05:02Yeah.
05:03Too much good history.
05:04Yeah, I'm with you 100% on that one, Steve.
05:08And I get, you know, the Warriors, I get why they did what they did in terms of strategically.
05:16They didn't want to pay Clay the kind of money that he wanted.
05:21When they were asked about Clay Thompson, they always said, you know, we want Clay Thompson back.
05:27And, you know, I always remember thinking to myself, yes, at a certain price.
05:33And they weren't able to come up with that price.
05:36But when I look at the entire situation, Goo, I don't have any acrimony toward the Warriors.
05:43I don't have any acrimony toward Clay Thompson.
05:45It ended the way it ended.
05:47And I'll tell you what, a lot of times when things end, it ends worse than it ended with Clay Thompson and the Golden State Warriors.
05:55I think it was time.
05:57I think they both moved on.
05:58And I think down the line in a few years, he'll come back and he'll get his jersey retired or however they're going to do it with Steph and Draymond.
06:09And this thing will all be over.
06:11But right now, it's still pretty, you know, still pretty sensitive.
06:15No doubt.
06:16And I'll say this.
06:17I'll just put myself in Clay's shoes.
06:20And you, Evan, Spadoni, and I have gone over this.
06:23And I stand by it, Stani.
06:25But, I mean, these guys are family.
06:27They've been through so much.
06:29And it all, to me, from afar, Daryl Johnson, who I am, I would have a problem if you and Evan didn't go to bat for me.
06:41And I'm not saying I know Steph and Dray didn't go to bat for him.
06:45But if I'm Clay Thompson, there's no way in hell we built this thing.
06:50And you guys, even if there was a disconnect with management upstairs, the buffer that I have between two of the most iconic warriors in Dray and Steph, I guess, Stani, I know you can tell me, wake up, good life doesn't work that way.
07:05But I'm a lover, not a fighter.
07:07I would just do everything under the sun to tell my boss or the bosses, whatever happens, he can't leave.
07:15He cannot don another uniform.
07:17He did, and I just find it human if Clay has some resentment, not from what he perceives that they did, but maybe what they didn't do.
07:30I don't know, but that's a natural thought.
07:32With who?
07:33If I'm Clay Thompson.
07:35You guys, come on, we're the Three Musketeers.
07:38How are you going to allow me?
07:40You got the leverage to keep me here.
07:42And some can be driving around saying, Goo, you're crazy, but they're all intertwined.
07:47And that's what shocked me that he got to this point.
07:50But why did Clay tell Steph not to go to bat for him specifically then?
07:54Well, I think he knew that his time was up here.
07:57After that golf outing when nothing was said, but now we understand that maybe the handwriting was on the wall.
08:02I guess, Donnie, I'm wrapping it up with, I could look at it like he should have never got to the point to where something wasn't offered or there was no conversation.
08:13What would it have looked like if they wanted him back?
08:16I mean, that's what I mean.
08:18I mean, there was no avenue for him to come back, I don't think.
08:24You could not ask him to come off the bench for the Warriors.
08:28Oh, so now it's, okay, I got you.
08:30Now it's about roll.
08:31I'm asking you, I'm not saying I don't disagree.
08:34My thought was Steph Dre could get all the parties in the room, say what he's thinking, what can happen.
08:42But that wasn't best for the organization.
08:44That's the way I look at it now.
08:47It wasn't best for the organization, for the Golden State Warriors to re-sign Clay Thompson.
08:52And you know what?
08:53It wasn't best for Clay Thompson to re-sign with the Golden State Warriors.
08:58I think both sides came to that conclusion, and that's why he's not here.
09:03And I don't think Clay not being here is a mistake.
09:07Oh, the Warriors made a mistake.
09:09But I also don't think, oh, they made a great decision not bringing Clay back.
09:14It's just the way that it all came down, and the Golden State Warriors front office didn't really prioritize Clay Thompson to the amount that he wanted to be prioritized.
09:26And it was time for him to move, and he did.
09:29It's interesting.
09:30I'll just double back.
09:31I don't know if you remember the show, but Evan said it.
09:33I'm speaking for Evan.
09:35You said it, that you would not want me to go talk to the boss about anything you had going on in regard to your possible departure or you staying at the job.
09:44And I just, I'm one of those guys that, you know, some could say mind your own effing business.
09:50But I would do more, and I wouldn't listen to you two to go try to fix it.
09:55So what happened?
09:56They couldn't have fixed it.
09:57Okay, and there you go.
09:58Like, they couldn't have fixed it.
09:59I got my hands up.
10:00Even if Clay, to me, even if Draymond Green and Steph Curry went in and said, we got to keep Clay, okay, well, we're not paying him $30 million.
10:11Like, I just don't, I think it just came to its natural conclusion.
10:14And maybe they could have met with Clay, too.
10:15Who?
10:16Just them two.
10:17Go have a drink.
10:18Invite him over and be like, dude, are you, like, I'm just asking, Stani, are you really, do you really think?
10:23No, like, neither side wanted it.
10:25I got you.
10:26Like, Clay didn't want to be here, and I don't think the Warriors wanted Clay here anymore.
10:30I got it.
10:32I mean, it's just.
10:35Life, I hear your business.
10:37Yeah, I mean, I don't, I just, like, I don't think it's that big of a deal.
10:42Like, they, we, how were they, they weren't going to be able to retire together, the three teams.
10:50See, and that's what it stems from, then.
10:51Because I thought, Stani, they were on the fast track to, you know, especially after that 2022 chip.
10:58You know, when he came back against Cleveland in January on that Sunday night game here at Chase, Stani.
11:04I, you know, and I'm not apologizing for how I feel.
11:07I just wish it could have happened.
11:09It didn't.
11:10But I'm just wondering and putting myself in the situation, what I would have done.
11:15And maybe wanted you or Evan or Spadoni to do for me, even if I told you not to do it.
11:20You're listening to 95.7 The Game, KGMZ, FM, and HD1 San Francisco.
11:25Always live on the free Odyssey app.
11:27Twitch and YouTube powered by First NorCal Credit Union.
11:30I actually look at it as, yeah, this is the way it was meant to be.
11:35It really was.
11:36That's.
11:37And you should be told, you might be, Stani, you could be totally right, man.
11:41Let's go to Mike in Concord.
11:43What's going on, Mike?
11:44How you doing?
11:46I'm good, man.
11:47Thanks for taking my call, fellas.
11:48Sure.
11:50Hey, I just want to touch base.
11:51You guys kind of covered it.
11:52But number one, 37 points in one quarter.
11:55I don't think that will ever be done again.
11:57I mean, you can't even fathom that happening again because it's amazing.
12:03And so kudos to Clay for that.
12:05We'll have that, I think, as a history.
12:08But as far as Clay leaving, I mean, I do think it could have worked out.
12:13I know that you guys, you know, there's a lot of talk about it.
12:15It just wouldn't work out.
12:17I think maybe a little bit of ego on Clay's part because he's talking about
12:21wanting to get paid for the player he was.
12:23But he also has to realize the player he is now.
12:26And it is a little bit different, right?
12:28So, I just wish it could have worked out because the fact of having those
12:33three right off into the sunset together,
12:35you don't hardly ever see that in sports in any league.
12:41So, it's really unfortunate that that couldn't happen.
12:46But I do think Clay has a little chip on his shoulder.
12:49And I'm just hoping at the end of all this that him and the Warriors can
12:54actually talk stuff out.
12:56And when Clay actually does decide to retire, it could all be put to rest.
13:01And both sides could end on a happy note because I think both the organization
13:07and Clay deserve that.
13:09I think the fans deserve that.
13:12But, yeah, I think Clay's coming in tonight with a little chip on his
13:15shoulder.
13:16And I think he's wanting this one bad even though he's trying to downplay it.
13:20And I love Clay and I root for him.
13:22But I hope he does have a good game.
13:24I just hope the Warriors beat him tonight.
13:27Appreciate the call.
13:29888-957-9570 is the number.
13:35Clay Thompson and the Mavericks were in Denver on Sunday.
13:39Going to play a little sound here.
13:41This is Clay Thompson talking about.
13:43And this is what has some people talking about what Clay said about coming back
13:50and maybe how he's feeling.
13:52Let's roll this one.
13:53This is F-188 on the game tonight and how Clay's feeling.
13:59Take a listen.
14:01It'd be good to see people that you're grinding with, obviously.
14:04But to me, it's just another regular season game in November.
14:07Obviously, there's bigger implications with the NBA Cup.
14:10So, that's what's on our mind is, in my mind, is just to win that
14:13because I haven't been a part of it yet.
14:16I know it's young, but it'll be fun to play for that title.
14:20It'd be good to see people that you're grinding with, obviously.
14:23But to me, it's just another regular season game in November.
14:27Obviously, there's bigger implications with the NBA Cup.
14:30So, that's what's on our mind is, in my mind, is just to win that
14:34because I haven't been a part of it yet.
14:37I know it's young, but it'll be fun to play for that title.
14:43That was Clay Thompson talking about the Emirates Cup,
14:46and I can't even believe he referenced it.
14:49But that's who he is, right?
14:51He's like, again, we don't know what's going on deep down.
14:55Something is down here.
14:56A lot of feelings and emotions, right?
14:58Title weighs worth of emotion, but I love it.
15:01That's Clay Thompson.
15:03He's talking about the Cup.
15:05Let's listen to F-189.
15:07This is on compartmentalizing his emotions tonight.
15:11Do you think it'll be difficult to compartmentalize just everything
15:15that you're probably going to feel going into that arena
15:18and actually playing in the game?
15:20No, I don't think so.
15:22I've been doing this a long time.
15:24Basketball is basketball.
15:27But, Clay, you've never been in this situation, though.
15:30I hear and study, but you've never been through this.
15:32This is your first time home, man.
15:35Yeah, and let's finish up with Clay talking about the matchup
15:39against Golden State, F-190E.
15:43Probably share my knowledge with my teammates and coaches
15:46and try to limit what they do well.
15:49Obviously a high-volume, three-point shooting team.
15:53And switch a ton on defense, so we'll go into Tuesday
15:59trying to counteract those two aspects.
16:02Yeah, so I think it sounds to me like Clay's going out of his way
16:06to really, absolutely, positively downplay this game tonight
16:12and try to treat it like another game.
16:15And whether he's able to do that and the fans are able to do it
16:18remains to be seen.
16:20He's not giving anybody any bulletin board material.
16:23That's for sure.
16:24I'll tell you what, though.
16:25What I love about this matchup tonight is he can't control
16:28what the hosts are going to do.
16:30And the hosts love you.
16:31The fans love you.
16:33And there's going to be, I believe, Stonnie, quiet on the set.
16:38Curry's probably going to get the mic and give Clay his credit and just do.
16:44So I get why Clay's kind of doing that, Stonnie,
16:47because he can't control what's on the other end.
16:50And I can't wait to see it.
16:52Yeah, the one thing that I think people heard him say
16:59and weren't crazy about was a story that Mark Spears wrote in Anscape.
17:04And Spears talked to him on Sunday, and he asked him about sentimentality.
17:10And Clay said, that chapter is over.
17:13He said, I'm locked into this team right now.
17:15And he was asked about Draymond and Steph, and he said, you know what?
17:18I'll see them when I see them.
17:20And that's the way he chose to answer that question.
17:25And I think a lot of people interpreted it as, you know,
17:28he's not feeling too good about the way things ended, plain and simple.
17:34Well, and I read that article, Stonnie, but I'll say this.
17:38It's not like they're in Daytona Beach and, you know,
17:40he ain't hooking up with his guys.
17:42He's got a season to prepare for, and so do the Warriors.
17:45So it's all love, I have to believe,
17:48but it's just something I believe that Clay Thompson and I know, Stonnie,
17:51that I don't know is that he is not looking forward to this at all,
17:55and it's coming too soon.
17:57Yeah, 888-957-9570 is the number.
18:03What do you make of the Clay Thompson career in Golden State
18:09that came to an end at the end of last season?
18:12He's now with the Dallas Mavericks.
18:14He's a four-time champion.
18:17He got here shortly after Steph Curry got here
18:20and formed a backcourt together that Mark Jackson said
18:24was the greatest shooting backcourt of all time,
18:27and when he said it, it might not have been the case,
18:29but I think many people agree that Mark Jackson was absolutely right
18:33about that one a few years later.
18:36Where were you at on Clay coming out of college?
18:38I never knew nothing about him.
18:41I appreciate the honesty.
18:42Absolutely.
18:43That's amazing, and why the draft isn't all sports.
18:46Brock Hardy on line one, but, I mean, man, Stonnie,
18:49I never thought this dude would have the career he had
18:53and be the marksman he was.
18:55888-957-9570.
18:58Let's go to Al in San Pablo.
19:00What's up, Al?
19:01How are you doing?
19:03I'm doing great, thanks.
19:05I just think that Clay Tosin's career at the Golden State Warriors
19:08was amazing, and his departure,
19:12I don't think it was because the Warriors were disingenuous.
19:16They really wanted him.
19:18It turns out they offered him more money than other teams did as a free agent.
19:25I think, though, they felt that Clay Tosin would be better for the team
19:29if he came off the bench.
19:31Just as Buddy Hill is coming off the bench right now,
19:35and we can see that by doing that, they were able to pick up more players,
19:41such as Melton, Slow Mo, who I call Smooth Mo,
19:45and they're able to pick up additional players that has now made them
19:50a better team than last year.
19:52So if Clay had accepted that role, he would still be here, I think,
19:59and then the Warriors would be as they are right now.
20:02Just my opinion, but I know that Clay wants to start
20:05because that's how he feels, and that's okay.
20:09So I understand why he left.
20:12Yeah, and the one thing that I wish I knew,
20:17I had all the names in front of me,
20:19but it's really tough to ask a player of Clay's stature
20:24to come off the bench for the team that he always started for.
20:28And he did it for a bit.
20:29Yeah, and I remember looking at Tim Duncan's career numbers,
20:34and everybody thinks Duncan went to the bench late in his career.
20:38He didn't. He always started for the San Antonio Spurs.
20:42So I just think asking Clay to come off the bench
20:45on a non-championship-type team was going to be a pill
20:49that's too difficult for him to swallow.
20:53Do you think it would be the difference of him staying or going, though?
20:56Yes, absolutely. I truly do.
21:02How can you be Clay Thompson,
21:04and you're coming off the bench for Brandon Pajemski,
21:07and you're playing for the Golden State Warriors?
21:10I wouldn't want to do that either.
21:12But to his credit, he did it and ended up getting inserted
21:15back into the starting lineup, but he didn't like it.
21:18And he wasn't going to sign up for it again.
21:22And I'm not saying he should have started,
21:25or I'm not saying he should have endeavored to come off the bench,
21:31but I think asking Clay, especially with Steph and Draymond
21:36still in the starting lineup.
21:38That's got to be tough, man.
21:39Look, it doesn't have to be personal,
21:44but the reality of the situation is the Warriors paid Draymond green,
21:48they paid Curry again this past offseason,
21:51and they didn't want to pay Clay Thompson.
21:53And that's the bottom line.
21:57Draymond and Steph were higher priorities
22:00for the Golden State Warriors than Clay Thompson.
22:03Those are facts, because Clay's not here.
22:07And he could feel some type of way about it,
22:09not the Steph part, but the Dray part.
22:11There's no doubt that probably had a lot to do with it.
22:14888-957-9570 is the number.
22:19Steine and Guru with you outside Chase Center at Thrive City.
22:24And things are starting to pick up here.
22:26They're putting the – what are those things called?
22:29The metal detectors are out.
22:31They got some cars coming out here.
22:35But all this art of Clay from Shamari Smith, Steine,
22:38artists throughout, I don't know where they're from.
22:40It's incredible.
22:42Yeah, they got that up on the big screen.
22:45And 888-957-9570 is the number.
22:50Don't forget it.
22:5112 will start the process of giving away a Clay Thompson jersey.
22:57888-957-9570.
23:00If you want to jump in and talk about how you remember Clay Thompson.
23:05And the bottom line is, are you sad that he's not here right now?
23:12Or do you just think it was time for both parties to move on
23:16and everybody's in a better place right now?

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