Klay Thompson, after calling out the Sunday crowd who watched on as the Golden State Warriors lost to the lowly Phoenix Suns for the first time in 18 matchups, tweeted out an apology Wednesday afternoon. Expressing “love for DubNation”, Thompson praised the group as “the greatest fan base in sports.”
I love DubNation. We have the greatest fan base in sports. We feed greatly off their energy in Oracle and I meant no disrespect. #timetogotowork #roadwarriors
— klay thompson (@KlayThompson) March 13, 2019
After Sunday’s 115-111 defeat, Thompson had initially told ESPN’s Nick Friedell:
“It’s a long season. And we’ve been playing a lot of basketball for five years now, so you’re not going to be perfect for 82 games — we’ve had too many missteps — but at the end of the day, that’s the first time we’ve lost to that team in 19 games. So it’s ugly but … I expect our crowd to be little more into it, too. Like, I know it’s not the playoffs, but it is our last go-around at Oracle. Least you can stand up or something when we make a good play, especially in the beginning. We need that energy, especially this time of the year. It’s hard to conjure up energy every single night ’cause you’re looking forward to the playoffs and that run.”
Friedell reported Wednesday on coach Steve Kerr’s attempt to clarify the point:
“I think I understood what he was talking about,” Kerr said on Monday. “But, it’s all tied together. When you play well, when you play with a great energy and a great pace and spirit, the fans are going to be naturally more excited. And on the flip side, the fans were probably more excited five years ago than they are now because the journey was fresh and new, and it’s different now. It’s different for everybody. … I do know one thing — that we really thrive on the energy at Oracle. I think the fans have helped us win at a high level, and we need them, but we got to give them more to cheer about, for sure.”
The Warriors will move to the currently under-construction Chase Center in San Francisco next season. Golden State toppled the Houston Rockets, 106-104, on the road Wednesday night in a key battle between Western Conference powerhouses.
Thompson scored 30 points to allow the Warriors to bounce back after the Suns loss while also helping Golden State avoid being swept by Houston after the Rockets won the first three meetings this season.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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