Klay Thompson is first All-NBA Cougar
Klay Thompson was named to the 2014-15 All-NBA third team on Thursday, the first such honor for a graduate of Washington State University.
Thompson, along with NBA MVP teammate Stephen Curry, helped lead the Golden State Warriors to a franchise-record and NBA-best 67 regular season wins. The "Splash Brothers" and co. are currently up 1-0 over the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference finals.
The 25-year-old Thompson averaged a career-high 21.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists over 77 games (all starts). Furthermore, Thompson's plus/minus of +10.1 is the third-highest in the NBA.
The Cougars have put good players into the NBA before, such as Craig Ehlo, Don Collins and James Donaldson. But none achieved the individual success that Thompson can already claim.
In 2011, the Warriors made the 6-foot-7 shooting guard the 11th pick in the NBA draft, the highest selection in school history, after Thompson led the Pac-10 in scoring with 21.6 points per game as a junior.
However, his school records in 3-point field goals made (242) and 3-point attempts (620), were bested this year by senior guard DaVonté Lacy, who will now try to earn a spot in a league that a fellow WSU alum is dominating.