Klay Thompson is clear: this was the most difficult player to defend in his entire career

Klay Thompson has had to face some of the best players in NBA history during his 13 seasons in the league. The current player for Dallas Mavericks lived especially close to the rivalry with several superstars during his time with the Golden State Warriors, with whom he won four championships.

Looking back, Thompson had no doubts when choosing the player who gave him the most trouble when guarding him. LeBron James was the toughest opponent for the veteran shooting guard, a choice that makes even more sense considering that they faced each other in four consecutive NBA Finals.

Klay Thompson chooses LeBron James

Thompson talked about his matchups with James during a Twitch stream with PlaqueBoyMax. The Mavericks player particularly praised the four-time MVP's ability to impact every aspect of the game.

“LeBron [James]. We saw it in four consecutive finals, and I haven't seen anyone control the game as well as he does. He can do everything on the court. He has no weaknesses”.

Thompson's response is not particularly surprising. During his time with Golden State, the shooting guard had to face James numerous times, especially during the four consecutive Finals between the Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers from 2015 to 2018.

Golden State won three out of those four series, but the most painful defeat came in 2016. The Cavaliers overcame a 3-1 deficit and secured the franchise's first championship in Cleveland's history.

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The four Finals between Thompson and LeBron

“He can do everything on the court”

Thompson's explanation focuses on one of LeBron's great characteristics: his ability to influence a game without relying solely on scoring.

For a defender, facing James means having to simultaneously control his ability to attack the basket, create plays for his teammates, and exploit any physical advantage he finds. That's why Thompson believes he practically has no weaknesses.

The choice also has a personal component. Thompson spent much of his career trying to figure out how to stop James in the most important stage possible: the NBA Finals.

Although the Warriors managed to win three out of those four series, James was able to keep Cleveland in the competition for several years and led one of the biggest comebacks in NBA Finals history.

Klay Thompson's historical lineup

During the same conversation, Thompson also revealed his all-time starting five, composed of some of the greatest NBA legends.

The selection includes his former teammate Stephen Curry, with whom he formed one of the most successful backcourt partnerships in league history, along with LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O'Neal.

There is also an interesting detail in Thompson's choice. Although Michael Jordan is not in his all-time starting five, the Mavericks' shooting guard does consider the Chicago Bulls legend as one of the greatest players of all time and includes him in his personal NBA Mount Rushmore.

The absence of Jordan from his starting five does not mean that Thompson questions his legacy. It's simply a personal choice when building a historical lineup.

A career marked by great rivals

Thompson's opinion is particularly relevant due to the level of players he had to defend during his career. The shooting guard was a key piece of the Warriors during one of the most successful periods in recent NBA history and regularly competed against some of the great stars of his generation.

Now, in Dallas, Thompson embarks on a new phase in his career, but his memories of those duels against James remain. After sharing the court with Curry, facing LeBron in four Finals, and competing against numerous superstars, he is clear about who posed the most challenging defensive challenge to him.

For Klay Thompson, nobody controlled a game like LeBron James and nobody made him feel that there was no simple answer in defense.