Washington State University Athletics
Klay Thompson Wins NBA Championship with Warriors
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Former Washington State University men’s basketball standout, Klay Thompson, became the second Cougar in as many years and third overall to win an NBA Championship as the Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 105-97, Tuesday, to take the best-of-seven-series, four games to two.
The 11th overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors, Thompson (2009-11) averaged 21.7 points per game during the 2014-15 season, 18.6 points per game during the 2014-15 playoffs and 15.8 points per game during the NBA Finals for Golden State. Thompson became just the second Cougar to be named an NBA All-Star, as he started for the Western Conference in its 163-158 victory, Feb. 15. Thompson set an NBA record when he scored 37 points in the third quarter of the Warriors’ 126-101 victory over the Sacramento Kings, Jan. 23, 2015. He finished with 52 points in that game. Last summer he captured the 2014 FIBA World Cup championship as he was a member of the USA Basketball National Team.
Thompson joins his former teammate, Aron Baynes (2006-09) and Gene Conley (1949-50) as the only three Cougars to capture an NBA Championship. Conley won three-straight NBA Championships with Boston from 1959-61. Thompson is the second Cougar to win an NBA Championship in his first appearance (Conley, 1959) and this season marks the seventh time a former WSU men’s basketball student-athlete has appeared in the NBA Finals.
A native of Ladera Ranch, Calif., Thompson led the Cougars and the Pac-10 and ranked 11th in the country with 21.6 points per game while setting the school record with 733 points during his junior season, 2010-11. He was named first team all-league for the second-straight season. He finished his three-year WSU career, ranked on WSU's all-time list in 3-point field goals made (first - 242), 3-point field goal attempts (first - 620), points (third - 1,756), field goal attempts (third - 1414), scoring average (third - 17.9 ppg), field goals (fourth - 599), free throw percentage (fourth - .827), minutes (ninth - 3,367), steals (10th - 130), 3-point percentage (10th - .390), free throws (12th - 316), assists (13th - 259), blocks (14th - 74), steals average (14th - 1.33) , blocks average (16th - 0.755), and assists average (20th - 2.64).
Cougars in the NBA Finals
1959 Gene Conley, Boston (defeated Minneapolis 4-0)
1960 Gene Conley, Boston (defeated St. Louis 4-3)
1961 Gene Conley, Boston (defeated St. Louis 4-1)
1986 Craig Ehlo, Houston (lost to Boston, 4-2)
2013 Aron Baynes, San Antonio (lost to Miami, 4-3)
2014 Aron Baynes, San Antonio (defeated Miami, 4-1)
2015 Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors (defeated Cleveland, 4-2)
