Sometimes, it is hard to deal with the fact that you are now just a shade of what you used to be.
Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors has to deal with that thought this season after his performance declined.
"To go from one of the best players...It's hard for anybody," Thompson said after being benched down the stretch of a February 5 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
"I've accepted it. You can be mad, but I'm not gonna be mad. I'm happy for these young guys, obviously."
That is a sad thought, but something could be done. Players sometimes get reinvigorated if they opt for a new environment.
Looking at Klay Thompson's stats versus the Utah Jazz as an off-the-bench player, one can say that that's what he needs.
Coach Steve Kerr relegated him to the bench to make way for Brandin Podziemski.
The five-time All-Star was the Warriors' sixth man in the road win and put up 35 points on 7 out of 13 shooting from the field. He also snatched six rebounds and two assists.
More importantly, Kerr used him until the dying seconds of a close game.
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The Warriors should embrace this change. Thompson found his groove back based on his performance versus the Jazz.
League history will also tell them that a superstar embracing an off-the-bench role can provide good surprises.
Here are some examples:
1. Russel Westbrook, 2023-2024 season
He is a former MVP. He used to have most of the possessions and all the attention as leader of the Oklahoma City Thunder years back.
With the Los Angeles Clippers, he embraced the fact that he was no longer what he used to be but believed that he could contribute differently.
Brodie decided to come off the bench for the Clippers when former OKC teammate James Harden arrived.
He is now the energy guy for the second unit, and it is now paying off as the Clippers, led by Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, are now near the no.1 spot from being 12th in the Western Conference standings.
2. Manu Ginobili, 2013-2014 season
Ginobilli's acceptance of a bench role should be a blueprint for any team. In the 2013-2014 season, he only started three times.
They won the NBA title that year.
The Argentinian forward can be a starter for any team, but coach Gregg Popovich used him from the bench, and it paid dividends.
He is part of an elite list of players who average at least 18.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per 36 minutes while posting a true shooting percentage above 58.0 percent in their careers. Other players on this list are LeBron James, Magic Johnson, James Harden, and Nikola Jokic.
3. Marc Gasol, 2018-2019 season
In 11 seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, he played all but seven games as a starter.
He accepted an off-the-bench role when he moved to the Toronto Raptors in 2019. Out of 26 games, he played as the sixth man for 19.
It paid off for him and the team as the Raptors won the title that year while he figured in a prominent role as defender of the opposing teams' best big men.
4. Rajon Rondo, 2019-2020 season
Rondo is another player who, throughout his NBA career, is at the top tier. He was a four-time All-Star and was a key figure in the Celtics' title run, but winning was no longer viable for Boston, so he became a journeyman.
He found his way to the Lakers and played alongside LeBron James. In his first season with the Purple and Gold, he played 29 games as a starter, but in his second, he embraced the bench role even more, playing just three games as a first five.
They won the title that year. Rondo earned his second championship.
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