Klay Thompson Tips Rookie James Wiseman For Greatness

Injured Golden State Warriors swingman Klay Thompson has tipped No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman for an All-Star NBA career.

The rookie center has had an up and down season so far, being taken in and out of the team by Steve Kerr. In spite of this, Klay Thompson sees him as a potential future great.

“James is going to be a perennial All-Star one day. He doesn’t know how good he is yet,” Thompson said. 

“Who does when they’re 19 years old? But he just has physical abilities and talent that you just can’t teach.”

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He would know. Klay Thompson has had a lot of time to watch his teammates from the sidelines. He hasn’t played an NBA game since June 13, 2019 after two successive season-ending injuries.

His latest, a torn Achilles tendon sustained in November, compounded what he describes as ‘the worst year of my life’. He was supposed to help lead a new look, young Warriors roster back towards the top this year.

With Thompson absent, Golden State has a 20-19 record. They have been saying they’ll be back for what feels like as long as his injuries. However, he believes they are better than their current record.

“I anticipate us being right back in contention,” Thompson said. 

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“This year has been tough, obviously, with the pandemic and so many new players on the team. I love our group, though. I think we have a great group. These guys come to work every day; they’re eager to be great players. And we still have so much basketball left to play so, although our record doesn’t reflect how good I think we are.”