Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson said he had to retire from playing “NBA 2K” during an appearance on Podcast P With Paul George Presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment.
“I would get too angry,” Thompson said. “My brother really put me in retirement. I'll take that game way too serious. I'm like, ‘He's not even that good. He shouldn't be this rating.' And I'm like, ‘What am I doing, yo? It's not that serious.'”
Thompson joked he had a “coming to Jesus moment” when he argued repeatedly with NBA 2K community manager, Ronnie2K, about his shooting rating.
Thompson later said he is a fan of the “Madden NFL” games and played George in FIFA often during the 2016 Summer Olympics, when the two played for Team USA.
“My pockets were pretty fat after that trip,” Thompson said. “I'm sorry Paul.
“I would beat this guy, it would be the 90th minute, I would just hit him with like a crazy one-time and he'd be, ‘One more, run it back.'”
George added, “It got to a point where it was like, ‘Alright, I just — let me stop playing this guy.' Like, I was losing every time.”
Thompson said he took a video where he thanked George for the money he made from their bets on the game.
Thompson, the Warriors and George and the Los Angeles Clippers are Pacific division rivals. Both teams have been competitors for the NBA championship since the 2019-20 season, when George was traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder to team up with Kawhi Leonard in Los Angeles.
George was the cover athlete for NBA 2K17.