As great revelations go, this wasn’t the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. In fact, it’s not much of a revelation at all.
But it was newsworthy enough that the ESPN broadcast crew who worked the Warriors-Portland game Wednesday night felt they ought to share.
"Klay Thompson told us before the game, unsolicited, that he wants to finish his career as a Warrior."
— @DavePasch on the broadcast
pic.twitter.com/bne7PXmpWT
— ESPN (@espn) February 14, 2019
Thompson, as his accountant knows full well, will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season and, according to Sports Illustrated, eligible for a contract worth nearly $188 million. What he has said about his contractual status conforms to what the ESPN crew heard Wednesday.
Way back in June 2017, he told cbssports.com: “I’d rather be a part of something that could leave a legacy. There is more to basketball than getting yours, or being the guy. I hope I do this for a long time for the Warriors.”
Last September, Thompson told this publication: “I’ve said it many times before: I would like to be a Warrior for life. Contract negotiations are way down the line. But I think we all have the same interest. I would love to be here for the rest of my career.”
But as one question morphs into a foregone conclusion, a responder to ESPN’s tweet put a finer point on the conversation.
“I don’t think that has been the question. The only question is will they max him out?”
Bingo, and to be continued.