Klay Thompson has spent a career lining up across from some of the NBA’s biggest names, and when he was asked to name the toughest player he’s ever guarded, he went straight to the obvious answer: LeBron James.
Thompson, now with the Dallas Mavericks, reflected on the battles that came during his years with the Golden State Warriors, where he helped win four championships. The toughest assignment on that list, he said, came against James and the Cleveland Cavs, who met Golden State in four straight NBA Finals.
“LeBron [James]. We saw him for 4 straight Finals, and I haven’t seen anyone control the game as well as he does.
“LeBron [James]. We saw him for 4 straight Finals, & I haven’t seen anyone control the game as well as he does. He can do everything on the court. He has no weaknesses.”
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 15, 2026
Klay Thompson on the hardest player he's ever guarded.
(via @PlaqueBoyMax/ Twitch)pic.twitter.com/gNdpOLTbpp
He can do everything on the court. He has no weaknesses.”
That answer fits the matchup history. Thompson and the Warriors beat James and Cleveland in three of those four series, while the Cavs pulled off the unforgettable comeback from a 3-1 deficit in 2016 to win the franchise’s first championship. Golden State got its revenge the next year, winning 4-1 in 2017.
Even with all of that history, Thompson’s view of James is clear: guarding the NBA’s all-time leading scorer is a different kind of problem.
Thompson also laid out his all-time starting 5, and it came loaded with legends. His lineup includes Stephen Curry in the backcourt, along with LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O’Neal.
Klay Thompson reveals his NBA Mount Rushmore
— MAL (@MindOfBron) August 14, 2026
“MJ, Kobe, LeBron, Steph.”
Klay explained that he chose the four players because he was able to watch all of them growing up and personally witnessed the impact each had on the game and its style of play.
“I wasn’t allowed to watch… pic.twitter.com/oQPjFh4U1M
Michael Jordan, meanwhile, still sits on Thompson’s Mt. Rushmore of the game’s greatest players, even though he didn’t make the starting five.
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