Golden State Warriors' veteran yelled at Steve Kerr after controversial decision

Klay Thompson has largely taken well to his new role off the bench, with the Golden State Warriors' veteran having averaged 19.2 points on 44.1% three-point shooting in six games since becoming a reserve.

Despite the significant shift of coming off the bench for the first time since his rookie year in 2012, Thompson has displayed a positive attitude whenever he's spoke about his new role publicly. However, behind closed doors that wasn't always the case.

Klay Thompson yelled at Steve Kerr and Golden State Warriors' assistant coaches after initially hearing of his move to the bench

In a recent report from ESPN's Kendra Andrews, Warrior head coach Steve Kerr revealed that Thompson had actually yelled at him and some of the assistants after hearing of his move to the bench in Golden State's last game before the All-Star break.

"It was not an easy conversation. This is maybe the hardest part about getting further away from our prime. It's just, after 12 years (of Thompson starting), it wasn't easy. And still moving forward, it's not going to be easy. But I told him, 'if you really embrace it, you can help your team win.'"

- Steve Kerr on Klay Thompson

An outburst isn't overly surprising given Thompson's often visible frustration at different points this season. The four-time champion has had to fight between his post-injury self and his previous prime, a gap further emphasized by the move to the bench.

Kerr also revealed that Thompson had return to apologize shortly after, with the veteran sharpshooter ultimately taking his frustration out on the Jazz. Thompson had a season-high 35 points on 13-of-22 shooting that night, and has two more games of at least 23 points in the five outings since.

Thompson didn't close in Golden State's 110-99 win over the New York Knicks on Thursday, with veteran point-guard Chris Paul and third-year wing Moses Moody preferred over the franchise legend.

Whether Thompson can regain his starting spot remains to be seen, but given he and the Warriors have thrived since the move, it's unlikely that anymore significant changes are forthcoming in the near future.