Klay Thompson is one of the most prolific shooters that the league has ever seen. As a one-two punch with Stephen Curry, they became the backbone for the Golden State Warriors dynasty as the Splash Brothers. However, a torn ACL, followed by a subsequent torn Achilles tendon, made him miss two straight seasons of action.
Since coming back, his effectiveness hasn’t been the same. Sporting a new long hair look with a headband to boot, his shot took a slight step back, while his defense took a major nosedive. But, with one simple move, a haircut, Thompson has fans excited about the prospect of a return to his old self.
Fans Optimistic About Old Klay Thompson After Haircut
The first two years after his comeback, Thompson was playing at a spectacular level. Averaging over 20ppg, he was a valuable second star as the Warriors won their fourth ring in eight years. However, his third year did not go according to plan.
Dropping to less than 18 a game, his three-point percentage was under 39% for the first time in a fully healthy season. The Warriors missed the playoffs entirely, bowing out in the Play-In after an egregious 0-for-10 performance from the sharpshooter.
The team parted ways with him via a sign-and-trade with the Dallas Mavericks, and Thompson had arguably the worst year of his career, averaging 14 on 39% shooting from distance.
But a clip of Thompson going back to the iconic fade that he sported for much of his first run in the league had fans anticipating a return to his days as one of the best shooting guards in the league. “OG Klay is back,” was a popular sentiment all across social media.
Og klay is back
— Trey (@Treystacks815) May 7, 2025
One fan even posted a clip of the four-time NBA Champion from his prime with the caption, “OLD KLAY CUT IS BACK,” alongside fire emojis.
OLD KLAY CUT IS BACK 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/dzsJfkAns8
— Kyrie Center (@kyriecenterig) May 7, 2025
However, the biggest beneficiary of the entire ordeal was the Mavericks fan base. A year after adding the veteran to the squad, one fan was ready to celebrate for next season. “Yeah man, Mavs getting a ring next season,” they wrote.
Yeah man, Mavs getting a ring next season 🔥
— MFFL NATION (@NationMffl) May 7, 2025
Even Warriors fans, who got to see the best version of the five-time All-Star on their squad, were left feeling nostalgic. “2010s vibes,” one Golden State fan page wrote.
2010s vibes
— 𝕎𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕚𝕠𝕣𝕤𝕄𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕙 (@WarriorsMonarch) May 7, 2025
Another fan drew the connection immediately, claiming, “Barber must’ve been a Warriors fan,” with the look he was sporting.
barber must’ve been a warriors fan
— tye (@cxlh3xth) May 7, 2025
A Dallas team in the midst of major turmoil is going to need some stability next season. Kyrie Irving is going to miss the majority of, if not the entire, 2025-26 NBA season. With Anthony Davis down low, the rest of the team needs to step up, and as far as the fans go, they believe Thompson might be up for the challenge.
