Klay Thompson marches to the beat of his own drum, and the NBA is better for it. He’s does everything in an extremely Klay Thompson type of way, and it’s one of the more entertaining NBA subplots.

Thompson’s infamous trip to China with Anta, the sneaker company that puts out his signature shoe, produced so many viral ‘China Klay’ moments that the world finally got to see the real, unfiltered Klay Thompson in all his glory. There was the botched 360 dunk attempt and, of course, the footage of him dancing like no one’s watching to EDM music at a nightclub. It was a spectacular trip.

Klay Thompson closed the book on China Klay with an incredible ad for his new KT3-Gold Blooded. The ad featured Klay bathing with his sneakers while also using one of them like a cell phone? Just watch it for yourself.

Knowing what we now know about Klay Thompson should make you 100 percent more interested in what his pregame routine is. How does one of the NBA’s best shooting guard prepare for professional basketball on 82+ nights a year? Newspapers.



The Bay Area News Group sat down with Thompson to discuss his pregame routine, and the only thing he seemed particularly passionate about was newspapers.

For me, I keep it simple. I like reading the newspaper. I think my mom saw me on the phone a lot, and she just suggested to read the paper before a game to get away from looking at a screen. It’s really helped me just relax before the games, and take my mind off what I’ve got to go out there and do, and all the pressure that comes along with it.

Thompson would go on to explain what he likes to do with his pregame newspapers. “I keep it old school and simple. I like to turn the pages. It’s just so good to get to feel the paper. It’s just there in your hands, and the smell. I love the smell of a fresh newspaper.”

We could listen to Thompson wax poetic about newspapers all day. As odd as it might sound, I’m kind of into all of this. Reading a newspaper does sound like a particularly satisfying way to block out all the pomp and circumstance of an NBA game. Beyond reading the paper, I’m also with Thompson on enjoying the way they smell. Sniffing that much ink can’t be healthy, but newspapers have a distinct scent to them that is enjoyable in a way words can’t quite describe.