Klay Thompson Says He 'Embraced' Warriors Benching, Used Manu Ginobili as Inspiration

Based on his performance in Thursday's 140-137 win over the Utah Jazz, Klay Thompson didn't seem bothered about coming off the bench for the first time in 12 years.

The Golden State Warriors guard scored a season-high 35 points and told reporters after the game he "embraced" the change in role, citing how Manu Ginobili's role with the San Antonio Spurs evolved in the later years of his career.

"I thought about [former Spurs great] Manu Ginobli, that guy has four rings and gold medal, and he came off the bench his whole career, and I don't think anyone looks down on his Hall of Fame candidacy," Thompson said. "He's one of the greats. And I thought, I mean, I embraced it before tip, and I mean, I deserved it really."

Ginobili spent most of his career coming off the bench, though there were a few seasons in which he was used primarily as a starter. The Hall of Famer only made 10 starts in 424 appearances over his final seven seasons with the Spurs.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has spent most of this season trying to find lineup combinations that work for this roster.

The most significant changes have involved Thompson's role. It started earlier this month when he wasn't on the floor as part of the closing group in a 109-98 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 5.

Thompson was open about how difficult it was for him to be on the bench but also credited Gui Santos and Brandin Podziemski for their effort in helping the Warriors secure the victory.

It wasn't until Thursday night that Kerr made the decision to swap Podziemski into the starting lineup with Thompson coming off the bench.

Thompson had started 684 consecutive games dating back to March 13, 2012. He was roughly halfway through his rookie season at that point when then-head coach Mark Jackson made the move.

Kerr told reporters after the victory over Utah that Thompson wasn't thrilled about the move when he was informed about it earlier in the day.

"It's been a tricky season for him and for us," said Kerr. "It's not as easy to do what Klay did five or six years ago for him. I think this could be a good balance to get the best out of Klay and to get the best out of our team."

Thursday was just the third time in 50 appearances this season that Thompson has scored at least 30 points. He shot 13-of-22 from the field, including 7-of-13 from three-point range, and grabbed six rebounds in 28 minutes.

The Warriors will get a chance to reset during the All-Star break. They won six of seven games going into the hiatus and have built a 2.5-game cushion for the final spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament.