Warriors fans believe Steph Curry doesn’t get “superstar calls” and Klay Thompson’s dad, Mychal, echoed that in a conversation with Kerith Burke.
Steph Curry is one of the NBA's biggest stars and has been since he completed his meteoric rise to stardom during the 2014-15 season.
And yet, despite his superstar credentials, many feel the officials often swallow their whistles when it comes to the Warriors guard. Count Mychal Thompson, Klay Thompson's father, among those who believe Curry deserves to head to the charity stripe more than he does.
"Oh yes, yes,' Thompson told NBC Sports Bay Area's Kerith Burke when asked if Curry should shoot more free throws in an interview that will air Sunday during "Warriors Pregame Live."
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SIGN UP HERE "Steph is very crafty at how to get guys to make contact and put him on the line. He deserves about four or five more free throws a game because he does get bumped around a lot, even when he's on the perimeter when guys are clutching him and grabbing him. And when teams are in the penalty, they are so physical with Steph that even though it's not a shooting foul, he should be going to the line more because guys are clutching and grabbing him to stop him from getting open."
While there are a number of examples one could point to illustrate the fact that Curry doesn't get the same kind of respect from the officials that other stars do, let's just look at the stats.
This season, Curry ranks 23rd in the NBA at 5.53 free throws attempted per game. That puts him just ahead of Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (5.44) and just behind Cleveland Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton (5.57).
Joel Embiid (11.70) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (10.56) lead the NBA in free throw attempts per game, with Trae Young (10.17), Jimmy Butler (8.15) and Bradley Beal (8.14) rounding out the top five.
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The fact that Young is averaging almost five more free throw attempts per game than Curry is a clear indictment that Curry doesn't get the whistle that is afforded to other less accomplished players.
While LeBron James might be seen as the poster child for "superstar calls," the Los Angeles Lakers forward actually only ranks slightly ahead of Curry in free throws per game, coming in at No. 18 with 5.79 attempts just behind Jerami Grant.
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Curry is battered on a nightly basis, especially this season as he tries to drag the new-look Warriors up the standings.
It's clear the two-time MVP deserves more whistles than he receives, and Thompson believes it's time Curry gets the respect he deserves.