"That hasn't been done since Shaq & Kobe" - Klay Thompson dishes 'chasing rings' influenced his decision to stay on Warriors

Back in 2019, Klay Thompson and the Golden State Warriors were looking to accomplish the ultra-rare NBA three-peat. At the time, the team was fresh off back-to-back titles, and was competing against the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals. In Game 6, Thompson suffered a torn ACL in the third quarter that spelled the end of his season and contributed to the team losing the series.

That offseason, Thompson could have entered free agency, however, he agreed to a five-year deal worth $190 million in the summer of 2019. Of course, with setbacks, it wouldn't be until the 2021-22 season that he was able to return to the floor.

During a recent episode of The Draymond Green Show, the future Hall of Famer was asked whether he would've entertained free agency had he not been injured. As a three-time NBA champ who had earned five straight All-Star selections, and All-Defensive Second Team honors, his value likely would have been sky-high.

As he indicated to his longtime teammate, however, at the end of the day, the thing he truly wanted was championships.

"That's a big 'what if' ... That could have been a definite possibility just because you're healthy. But at the same time, too, if I don't get hurt, and let's say we do win, we do three-peat, it's like you're not walking away from that part. ...That hasn't been done since Shaq and Kobe.

"So I never would have walked away from a chance at stacking rings. ... I don't think I would have really tested it that hard."

Looking at Klay Thompson's future with the Golden State Warriors, will he part ways with the team this offseason in free agency?

The five-year, $190 million deal signed by Klay Thompson in 2019 is set to expire at the end of this season. At that time, Thompson will hit free agency, and be free to negotiate on the open market.

With his struggles early in the season, there was quite a bit of talk regarding the future Hall of Famer potentially parting ways with the team. Given that his value wasn't what it once was, and the Warriors were unlikely to sign him to a max deal given his age, many thought the end was in sight.

As Thompson indicated to The Ringer's Logan Murdock back in February, he seems willing to accept a reduced role given his age. With that in mind, Thompson also expressed a desire to spend the final years of his career in Golden State.

As he explained, he has modeled his career off players like Ray Allen and Reggie Miller, both of whom were effective into their late 30s. Given that, it's clear Thompson still has quite a bit left in the tank, albeit in a reduced role given his age, and injury history.

His comments were followed by coach Steve Kerr then bringing Klay Thompson in off the bench, which seemingly lit a fire under the four-time champ. So far, in the month of March, Thompson is averaging 22.7 points per game.

With the Warriors likely to face the LA Lakers in the play-in tournament, he certainly seems to be peaking at the right time.