Stephen A. Smith Unloads on Warriors’ Klay Thompson: ‘You’ve Been Playing Like Hot Trash’

The ‘First Take’ host ripped the Warriors star for how he’s reacted to his shooting struggles.

The Warriors are off to a brutal start to the season, sitting at 8–10 following Tuesday night’s loss to the Kings in Sacramento.

A major factor in Golden State’s struggles is the slow start for veteran star Klay Thompson, who is shooting just 36.4% from three on the season after another rocky shooting night on Wednesday. Both his three-point shooting percentage, as well as his overall field goal percentage of 40.4%, are career lows. 

While Thompson has preached patience, and has dismissed his doubters saying that he “doesn’t care what people think,” ESPN First Take‘s Stephen A. Smith ripped the Warriors star for his attitude towards his struggles.

“This is one of the greatest shooters in NBA history,” Smith said on Wednesday morning. “But that ain’t what you’ve been looking like. … You’ve been playing like hot trash. That is the bottom line. We expect better from Klay Thompson. We know what kind of a champion he is. And respectfully, that right there what he said before the game last night, is a flat-out cop out. That’s about you not owning up to the fact that you‘re not doing the kind of things we know you can do. We know you’re capable of doing. And you’re just shrugging it off like you don’t give a damn. Maybe you should give a damn.”

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith called out Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson for his early-season struggles on Wednesday :: Tim Fuller / USA TODAY Sports

The Warriors certainly need more out of Thompson, who is averaging a mere 15.3 points per game this season. To Smith’s point, Warriors fans (and NBA fans as a whole), certainly expect more out of the longtime Golden State sharpshooter, who is one of the greatest three-point marksmen in the history of the game.

Thompson and the Warriors will look to bounce back on Thursday at home against the Clippers.