The Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers met in four consecutive NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018, and in the first three of those, Klay Thompson had the unenviable task of guarding Kyrie Irving. Although Klay’s team went 2-1 against Kyrie’s squad, guarding Irving was no easy task, even for Thompson, who was considered one of the best defenders during his prime.
During his recent interview with Michael Cooper for the “Showtime with Coop” podcast, Thompson talked about what it’s like to now be on the same side as Irving in Dallas.
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“It’s nice to be his teammate,” he said. “Kyrie and I had so many battles during those years at Golden State. We saw Cleveland four straight years in the Finals, three of them being with Kai. And I’ll never forget, I know you always checked the best offensive player. And some nights, there’s just nothing you could do when you’re guarding a guy like Michael or Larry or Isiah. Same thing with Kyrie. This guy freaking went 17-24 on me for 42 points in a Finals game. I’ll never forget that.”
Irving lit up Klay in Game 6 of the 2016 NBA Finals
Irving actually scored 41 points in Game 6 of the 2016 NBA Finals. With the Warriors taking a 3-1 series lead, the Cavaliers staved off elimination three times to tie the series and then pull off the Game 7 win in the greatest comeback in the history of the NBA Finals.
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LeBron James also scored 41 points to lead the Cavs to a 112-97 win over the Dubs. While he also had 16 rebounds in that game, Irving had six assists while shooting an incredible 17-24 from the field, including 5-7 from 3-point distance, to force Game 7.
“I’ll never forget that,” Klay added. “I tried to…There’s nothing I can do. I could cut him off left, cut him off right. He’s spinning back. He’s hitting bank shots. He’s hitting scoops, floaters, pull-up threes, and that’s when you know someone’s got the ‘it’ factor, when you’ve been on the other side of their flurries. He’s the toughest guy I ever guarded. You have to put him up there with LeBron, KD and Kobe. Like he’s got no weaknesses in his game.”
Irving then went on to score 26 in the decider while hitting a clutch 3-pointer over Stephen Curry to give the Cavs the lead for good. Although it was James who was named Finals MVP, Irving was spectacular in that series too, averaging 27.1 points per game with shooting splits of .468-.405-.939.
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Nothing worse than being trapped on an island against Irving
Indiana Pacers back-up point guard TJ McConnell also recently picked Kyrie as his toughest cover ever. Known for being a pesky defender, McConnell admitted that there is virtually nothing a defensive player can do against Irving and that the opponent is at Kai’s mercy once he gets into his bag.
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“You’re on an island,” he said. “And you just don’t know what he’s gonna do. You can force him one way, but he still ends up getting the way you don’t want him to go. Like, he just… his handle is impeccable. He’s got the greatest handle I’ve seen. And he can really shoot it, like he’s fast. It’s just, it’s a tough place to be mentally, guarding Kyrie.”
Fortunately for Thompson, his days of being put in the torture chamber against Irving are over — well, except perhaps in practice. Meanwhile, other guard defenders like McConnell will have a short break, with Irving still recovering from an ACL injury. However, once he returns, it’s going to be hell again for the rest of the league.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 1, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.