In a move that didn’t really surprise anyone, Klay Thompson announced in a press conference earlier tonight he would forego his senior season at WSU to officially enter the NBA draft.
For me, tonight is bittersweet. Only being a junior at WSU, I remained hopeful Klay would change his mind with an NBA lockout looming. Reports out of Pullman recently noted Thompson was 50-50 on his decision to stay or leave Pullman. Just thinking about Thompson remaining in school one more year evoked dreams of a packed Beasley Coliseum in 2012, rocking to the tune of one dynamic Thompson performance after the next.
Alas, it wasn’t to be. Thompson’s legacy will undoubtedly be the topic at the Cougar Cottage on Friday nights for years to come. Many will label him as a dynamic scorer who fell short in a few too many big games. Personally, I think Thompson deserves recognition for keeping a WSU program relevant as they teetered on the brink of mediocrity in Pac-10 play.
His marijuana arrest before the UCLA game will forever go down in WSU history as one of the dumbest decisions made by an athlete in recent memory. His absence undoubtedly cost us a shot at winning and a realistic chance to make the NCAA Tournament.
Nonetheless, Thompson was a helluva lot of fun to watch during his career at WSU. His silky smooth jumper and underrated leaping ability will translate well at the NBA level. I’ll be the first in line at my local Champs store to buy his NBA jersey as soon as he gets picked late in the first round. Here’s to hoping Klay becomes a sure-fire NBA superstar who donates back to the program and community that helped him develop into Ray Allen’s heir-apparent as the best 3-point shooter in the NBA.
That’s all I’ve got for you guys tonight. Happy Mother’s Day and….
Go Cougs!
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