Making millions sounds great until reality checks arrive. Klay Thompson learned that lesson super fast when the Warriors drafted him 11th overall in 2011 with big money coming his way.
But Thompson struggled with cash management early on. He blew bread on clothes he never wore and lost stacks at team poker games. It took years to break those habits.
Klay Thompson Regrets Overbuying Clothes in His Early NBA Days
Thompson came clean about his money mistakes during a 2019 Kneading Dough podcast appearance. Host Maverick Carter asked him about financial slip-ups his first few years, and his answer hit different.
“I made some mistakes, like hoarding, especially with the clothes,” Thompson told Carter. “I mean, I would just have a full closet, and I would only wear about 5 percent of the closet, and I’m like, ‘What am I going to do with all of these extra clothes?'”
The 6’5″ guard knew he had a problem with closets stuffed full of gear collecting dust and money wasted on outfits he’d wear once or never at all. Thompson admitted he struggled with hoarding tendencies that took time to fix.
Besides those clothes, team poker games on road trips also crushed his pockets. Vets with eight or nine years in the L cleaned him out regularly. To get that competitive juice, he used to beat his wallet.
“We had some sharks on the team,” Thompson recalled. “Every road trip on the plane.”
However, the former Warriors sharpshooter eventually erased his shopping addiction. He started buying pieces with staying power instead of chasing trends. Quality over quantity became the move.
But those early lessons stuck with him throughout his Hall of Fame career.
Mavericks’ Future With Klay Thompson Remains Uncertain
Fast forward to 2026, and Thompson has faced different questions since his divorce from the Golden State Warriors, and he still faces those questions. He signed with Dallas on a three-year, $50 million deal. The Mavericks needed his shooting after falling in the 2024 Finals.
But everything changed when the Mavs won the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes. Thompson made it clear he wants to compete for a fifth ring with limited chances remaining, at 36 years old. But, quite frankly, with the Mavericks sitting at 17-26, things seem too shaky.
Noah Weber of The Smoking Cuban believes trading Thompson would be foolish unless the Mavs get an overwhelmingly positive return. For now, the clothes-hoarding kid from 2011 waits to see where his career lands next. Whether that’s Dallas, Golden State, or somewhere else, hunting ring number five.
