Dallas Mavericks swingman Klay Thompson made NBA history by scoring his 16,000th point in the Mavericks’ 101-112 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Thompson is the 17th-highest active scorer in the NBA right now, with 16,000 points being an incredible achievement.
He was asked to discuss the bittersweet nature of making history in a loss after the game, but the achievement made him realize how incredible LeBron James is to have scored over 40,000 NBA points.
“It’s cool, but it makes you realize how ridiculous it is that LeBron has 40,000. It’s insane. But it’s cool. Anytime you do something like that in the NBA, it’s a special moment.”
What better way to pass 16,000 points than from downtown?
Congrats @KlayThompson 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/Boqkb4C5BV
— NBA (@NBA) January 12, 2025
Klay led the Mavericks in scoring in this game with 25 points (9-19 FG) and six rebounds. They went into the final 12 minutes with a 10-point lead, but a fourth-quarter collapse cost them the game.
The fact that Thompson has only reached 16,000 points for his career seems shockingly low until you contextualize the reality of his career. He didn’t get off to a hot scoring start after being drafted in 2011, slowly earning his stripes as the solidified backcourt partner for Stephen Curry on the Golden State Warriors.
Klay’s usage has always been low, maximizing the value one player can get from off-ball scoring opportunities. He’s averaged over 20 points in seven of the 12 NBA seasons he’s played, missing two-and-a-half seasons straight from 2019 to 2022 with an ACL and Achilles tear.
His scoring total isn’t as high as many expect, currently behind other active players such as Brook Lopez, Kyle Lowry, and Nikola Vucevic. But it’s still an incredible achievement to have been as prolific as Thompson over a career.
He has a few more years in the tank, so it’ll be interesting to see how much more he can score before inevitably hanging it up.
LeBron’s 40,000 points can be viewed with greater perspective now, as no modern player is even remotely close to where he’s at. James has currently scored 41,261 NBA points in his career, with the next-closest Kevin Durant having 29,656 points.
Klay Thompson Needs To Lead Without Luka Doncic And Kyrie Irving
The Mavericks were without Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on the court and a win tonight would’ve easily been their most impressive of the season as they faced the healthy Nuggets with a returning Aaron Gordon tonight.
Klay tried his best to lead the Mavs to a win as their primary offensive option. This is a role he’ll have to embrace going forward as the team is relying on his production until their stars are back.
He opened up about the challenge of playing without Doncic and Irving after the game.
“It’s definitely an adjustment, and that’s the fun part of the season…It’s welcomed, and I enjoy these moments where we gotta battle adversity.”
Klay Thompson on the adjustment of playing without Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving:
“It’s definitely an adjustment, and that’s the fun part of the season…It’s welcomed, and I enjoy these moments where we gotta battle adversity…”
Thompson on how he can keep the big games coming:… pic.twitter.com/xauIECIcjP
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) January 12, 2025
Thompson is averaging 14.2 points and 3.4 rebounds this season
The Mavs and Nuggets will clash once again on Tuesday in the second game of a baseball series between the Conference rivals. Dallas will once again be outmatched, but they have an opportunity to complete the shocking win they almost pulled off tonight.
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