Twitter has a page dedicated to tracking the social media activity of the NBA entities. But that’s not even surprising in this day and age. Social media has taken over our lives and live rent-free in our heads. You could be at your office, focusing on coming up with a strategy for a project. Yet, you just can’t stop thinking of that post about your favorite athlete you saw the moment you opened your eyes. We can go on and on about different instances similar to the one above. Since we are on the topic, how can we go without talking about Klay Thompson and his latest move?
In the midst of the Dallas Mavericks living to see another day in the NBA Finals series with a 122-84 win vs Boston tonight, it’s only natural that Thompson takes second place. But being the social media enthusiasts that we are, especially when it comes to prominent entities like the Warriors’ second superstar, we can’t help but wonder if Klay unfollowing the Warriors on Instagram is in fact a definitive sign of trade rumors.
Is Klay Thompson really leaving his home of 12 years?
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Well, that’s something that only the man in question can answer and we can speculate. So, speculation it is! In a suspicious move, the Splash Brother decided to unfollow the Golden State Warriors’ official page on Instagram. When Mark T. Willard of Willard and Dibs caught wind of this, the Bay Area veteran was sure this was a sign that Klay was indeed leaving the Dubs.
Handpicked by ‘The Logo’ Jerry West himself, Thompson turned out to be one of the three pillars of a re-emerging dynasty. Just like the late West predicted. The man had even threatened to quit if the Warriors traded the Washington State before the 2014-15 season for Kevin Love! GSW thanked themself for listening to ‘Mr. Clutch’ then. Along with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, a young Klay became the cornerstone of the franchise.
USA Today via Reuters Nov 30, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11), guard Stephen Curry (30) and forward Draymond Green (23) after the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Things were going well for the Warriors, exceptionally well, in fact. Until Thompson sustained an ACL tear in the 2019 NBA Finals. The man who returned after being sidelined for two seasons was not the same guy. 2022 saw the Warriors clinch their last title in the Splash Brothers era. Of course, Steve Kerr and his boys were planning to go after one final run before the three veterans decided to hang up their boots.
We all saw what happened there. Klay Thompson had, arguably, the worst season of his career in 2023-24. His 17.9 points were the lowest since his second season with the Warriors. Relegated to the bench and closing a game without him all pointed to the possible end of Thompson’s time with his beloved Dubs. And that’s when the contract extension came in between the two, sticking out like a sore thumb. Klay believes he deserves the max extension he is eligible for. The Warriors for their part have concerns about whether he is the right choice to lead them to another title before Steph retires.
So, unless the 4x champion agrees to a lesser deal, the chances of GSW retaining him look slim. Especially with the Jimmy Butler trade rumors catching fire of late. It was under such circumstances that the 34-year-old pulled the IG stunt. Yet, do we really have to read too much into it? After all, this isn’t the first time, nor will it be the last, that these men have done so.
Klay is just the latest in a long line of social media aficionados
We don’t even have to go too far back. LeBron James just pulled one of his classical moves when he unfollowed a bunch of people on Twitter, including Kendrick Perkins, Blake Griffin, and Ben Simmons. But the ‘Akron Hammer’ isn’t the only one who is famous for pulling something of this sort.
About four years ago, Giannis Antetokounmpo found himself in the headlines for unfollowing his team and teammates. It was 2020 and the ‘Greek Freak’ had long been at the helm of trade rumors. This just so happened to fall right at the time when the trade chatter was in full swing. According to a Reddit discussion page on the topic, it seems like many Bucks fans pointed out that it was something Giannis did every offseason. Given that Antetokounmpo continues at Milwaukee with Damian Lillard in tow, we can safely say that it was nothing.
USA Today via Reuters Jan 3, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
How can we go without mentioning LeBron’s unfollowing of the Cavs in 2016? As per reports from the time, a source close to James said that it was his way of “prepping for playoffs”. And not another surprise exit from Cleveland. Seeing as how he got the Cavs their ring that year and continued there until 2018, it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that Cleveland was not too offended.
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However, one guy who got himself in unnecessary trouble was the former Raptors guard, Fred VanVleet, in 2022. The poor thing only wanted to get rid of IG algorithms showing him totally unrelated posts. But his plan backfired. “So stupid me. Let’s unfollow everybody and see if it helped. It didn’t help. Somebody caught wind of that and said, oh, I unfollowed all my teammates. I unfollowed my mom too. They didn’t care about that part,” he said, laughing.
So, there you go. Which one is your favorite? Or do you have another story? Drop them in the comments below!
Before you go, though, be sure to check this video of Leonardo Armato’s take on Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese.
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Does Klay Thompson’s Latest Stunt Confirm Warriors Trade Rumors? Exploring Complicated History Of Social Media & American Sports
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