Draymond shares great Klay story that shows newfound voice

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Klay Thompson has always been seen as the "quiet" Warrior from the outside looking in. Through his 10 years in the NBA, it seems like he never gets too hot or too cold.

Occasionally, he'll be seen punching the air in celebration or anger or getting excited on the bench. Through it all, his persona remains the kooky Warrior who boats to practice

But over the last several years, Thompson has found a voice. 

Sometimes that voice turns into inspirational pep talks to his teammates, and sometimes it's good old-fashioned trash talk. Sometimes, it exudes a level of confidence you'd probably only see from Thompson behind closed doors. 

Draymond Green remembers before Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors, Thompson approached him with one simple message:

"He was like, 'Dray, I'm about to have one of those games. I'm telling you now, I'm about to have one of those games,'" Green told NBC Sports Bay Area on the Dubs Talk podcast.

"I'm just like what? He's like, 'No, I'm about to destroy them. I'm telling you, just give me the ball, I'm about to have one of those games.' Sure enough, he had one of those games."

That night, Thompson went off for 30 points, five rebounds and two steals in 30 minutes before tearing his ACL in his left knee with three minutes left in the third quarter.

After 17 months spent recovering from that injury, Thompson tore his right Achilles tendon in November 2020, sending him to the bench for another year. Between his injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic, it could have been easy for Thompson to return to his more quiet self.

But he hasn't. He has made sure to have a presence with the Warriors, and right now from the bench, that means a lot of talking.

RELATED: Draymond reveals Klay scolded him after shocking ejection

When Thompson made comments toward Rodney McGruder after the Warriors' game against the Pistons in February, it caused a stir, in part because it was almost weird and unbelievable those words would be hurled out of Thompson's mouth. 

According to Green, it's actually not all that surprising.

"Klay's thing is, he will see a certain guy who's talking. He's just like dude, no you can't talk," Green said. "We've destroyed you for years, and now you want to talk to a rookie? He's had several moments like that."

No stranger to trash-talking himself, Green enjoys hearing his "quiet" teammate make some noise. It's the culmination of Thompson's confidence growing over the years and finding the right moments to talk, and for Green, it's been a special thing to watch.

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