By Theo Lawson
The Spokesman-Review
PULLMAN — Two of the best 3-point shooters in NBA history will converge on Pullman and Washington State on Saturday.
Two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry will be in attendance as Golden State Warriors teammate and fellow “Splash Brother” Klay Thompson has his jersey retired at halftime of the Cougars’ game against Oregon State, Janie McCauley of the Associated Press reported Tuesday prior to Golden State’s game against Dallas.
“I heard it’s pretty cool there,” Curry told McCauley, a Washington State graduate who covers professional and college sports for the AP in the Bay Area. “Go Cougs.”
Curry, a global hoops icon who’s considered by many to be the greatest shooter in the history of the game, has teamed up with Thompson to win three NBA championships. The two have combined to play in 11 NBA All-Star games since Curry was drafted by the Warriors in 2009 and Thompson in 2011.
Several current and former Warriors, including Thompson, D’Angelo Russell and Zaza Pachulia, were in attendance last month when teammate Draymond Green had his jersey retired at Michigan State. Golden State owner Joe Lacob, general manager Bob Myers and head coach Steve Kerr also made the ceremony in East Lansing, Michigan.
The Warriors play Saturday in San Francisco against Orlando, so it’s unlikely other members of the NBA franchise will make the trek to the Palouse for Thompson’s celebration. Thompson is expected to miss the entirety of the 2019-20 NBA season with a torn ACL, suffered in last year’s NBA Finals against Toronto. Curry suffered a broken left hand early in the season that should keep him out for the foreseeable future.
The @WSUCougars Twitter account posted a congratulatory message from Kerr two days ago.
“Klay, congratulations on this incredible honor, getting your jersey honored at Washington State is so fitting,” Kerr said. “You’ve done so much for that school and of course so much for the Warriors as well. But I just want to say what a thrill it is to coach you, what a joy it is to see you every day and I know the impact you’ve made with our franchise here. … Everybody at Washington State obviously knows exactly what you’ve meant to that university. So congrats, nobody deserves this more.”
