Golden State Warriors: Imagining Each Starter as a Mario Kart Character
By Greg Chin
Jun 16, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) talks to the media after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in game six of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Klay Thompson – Luigi
Just as Nintendo has their Mario Brothers, the Golden State Warriors have their own Splash Brothers. If it wasn’t clear, Klay Thompson is the Luigi to Stephen Curry’s Mario. Both Klay and Luigi have had to grow from their more popular partner’s shadow. Luigi spent many decades as Mario’s sidekick brother, but shone when he was given the opportunity to in his own series – Luigi’s Mansion. While Luigi hasn’t quite been able to garner the same attention and fandom that Mario has, he has developed in his own right as a character.
The same could be said about Klay. For most of his early years, Klay was seen as the complimentary shooter alongside Curry. They worked well in tandem, with each of their shooting skills boosting the other. However, last year, for a portion of the offseason and the early season, Klay had the spotlight on him. The organization committed to keeping him despite the possibility of trading him for Kevin Love, and even signed him to a near-max contract. Klay repaid that faith by earning his first All-Star nod, and is now considered one of the best two-way shooting guards in the league.
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