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Bonus Question That Had Kirk Cousins Suffering Strips Klay Thompson Of His Anonymity At NBA Players Poll

Published 04/22/2024, 10:17 PM EDT

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Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson may have given up his anonymity in the recent player poll. The Athletic Player poll garnered all sorts of attention for the uncanny results. Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert faced the brink of embarrassment for gaining votes for the most overrated player. On the other hand, several non-NBA athletes also had to face humiliation. However, one such instance unveiled China Clay‘s anonymity.

Every 142 player who took the poll had a bonus question at the end to answer, which was to pick their favorite athlete outside of the NBA. While a list of athletes were named, two of them caught the attention. Firstly, Kirk Cousins, the NFL star who received only one vote, got a hilarious reason for the pick. The anonymous voter said, “He gets paid and doesn’t have to win or don’t have to do anything and made $400 million off of one playoff win. Legend.”

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Similarly, the New York Mets player Trayce Thompson received a vote. A player with an underwhelming career could be called a favorite player unless it’s their own brother, reported sfgate.com exposing Klay Thompson. The 33-year-old has jumped 5 teams in his 7-season-long career. In 369 games, Trayce batted at .212 with 45 home runs and 126 RBI. It was evident that the Warriors’ star picked his younger brother as his favorite non-NBA athlete with such a record.

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While Kirk Cousins received a reason for the vote, the reason for younger Thompson’s vote wasn’t revealed. The sfgate.com further stated that the brothers’ current bond could be the reason behind the pick. Despite their busy schedule round the clock, the brothers find time to spend together doing activities like gaming and golfing.

On the other hand, the Warriors didn’t make much of an appearance in the NBA Player Poll, unlike in the previous years. Apart from Stephen Curry, who appeared in three categories.

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Klay Thompson & Co. in the NBA Player Poll

Apart from Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, and Draymond Green found a place in the poll. Curry received a single vote for “Greatest of All Time” and the 2024 MVP tag. And three votes for the player, one would choose first to rebuild a team. Green, on the other hand, made it top of the best defender category and the top 5 for the player least likely to fight with.

DrayMagic‘s two suspensions during the season could have contributed to the results. Moreover, he received wide appreciation for his basketball IQ from critics and fans throughout the season. Especially, Kyrie Irving said, “That’s not just like on the physical end, it’s just on the IQ. He has a very very high IQ,” speaking of Green after a regular season loss against the Dubs.

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However, Thompson didn’t make it to any of the notable lists. It could be because of the star’s underwhelming season and on top of it, he also had a poor end to the tournament. He finished 0-10 FG in a do-or-die game against the Sacramento Kings to lock a spot in the playoffs. Notably, in 2019, he was ranked 8th for the best defender in the league with 1.7% alongside Marcus Smart and Mikal Bridges.

Nevertheless, the star’s defense has been widely criticized ever since his injury in 2019. And on top of that, the star’s place in the Dubs fold is questionable for the next season, as he will reach free agency in the off-season. Will Klay remain in the Dubs’ thread? Let us know your opinion in the comments.

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Written by:

Shahul Hameed

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Shahul Hameed is a Senior NBA Writer at EssentiallySports. Armed with a Master's Degree in journalism from a distinguished institute, his journey into sports writing began during his college days, and since then, Shahul has been captivated not only by the remarkable consistency of Stephen Curry but also by the enduring legacy of LeBron James. He specializes in covering the live basketball action.
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Edited by:

Saumya Khanduja