The NBA gave Golden State Warriors fans a direct reminder of why “Game 6 Klay” became more than a nickname.
On May 28, the NBA History account marked the 10-year anniversary of Klay Thompson’s legendary performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 of the 2016 Western Conference finals. The post highlighted Thompson’s 41 points, 11 made 3-pointers and 40 minutes in a game the Warriors had to win to keep their season alive.
“10 YEARS SINCE ‘GAME 6 KLAY’ WAS BORN,” NBA History wrote in the post.
The clip mixed highlights from Thompson’s record-setting shooting night with his postgame comments, including his famous explanation for how that kind of heater feels from the inside.
“It was one of those nights where my legs were under me,” Thompson said in the clip. “I was in a great flow. So all I had to do was catch and release.”
That makes the post more than just an anniversary marker. For Warriors fans, it is a reminder of the night Thompson helped rescue a 73-win season from ending one round short of the NBA Finals.
Klay Thompson’s 11 Threes Saved the Warriors’ Season
The Warriors entered Game 6 facing elimination on the road against a Thunder team led by Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Golden State trailed the series 3-2, and Oklahoma City had a chance to close out the defending champions at home.
Thompson changed the series.
He finished with 41 points while shooting 14-of-31 from the field and 11-of-18 from 3-point range. ESPN’s game recap described Thompson’s 11 made threes as a playoff record at the time, and the Warriors won 108-101 to force Game 7.
That fourth quarter is why the game still carries weight. It was not empty shooting in a lost cause or a regular-season explosion without stakes. It came with the Warriors’ season one loss from ending, against one of the most physically imposing teams of that era.
The Warriors eventually won Game 7 and completed the comeback from a 3-1 series deficit against Oklahoma City before advancing to the NBA Finals. The Guardian noted at the time that Golden State became the 10th team in NBA history to win a seven-game postseason series after trailing 3-1.
Why ‘Game 6 Klay’ Still Defines Thompson’s Warriors Legacy
Thompson has other signature shooting nights. He scored 37 points in a quarter. He once made 14 threes in a regular-season game. He became part of one of the greatest backcourts in NBA history alongside Stephen Curry.
But “Game 6 Klay” has always held a different place in Warriors history because of the timing.
The Warriors were not cruising. They were cornered. The Thunder had the size, athleticism and momentum to end Golden State’s repeat bid. Thompson’s shooting gave the Warriors a way out when the game was slipping toward Oklahoma City.
In the NBA History clip, Thompson said he did not know he had broken the record in the moment. Damian Lillard broke the record on June 1, 2021, with 12 three-pointers versus the Nuggets en route to a 55-point performance.
“I had no idea what the record was,” Thompson said. “I didn’t even know I had 11 threes. It feels good to own a record.”
That line captures part of what made the performance memorable. Thompson’s game has always looked different at its best — minimal dribbling, little wasted motion, no need to dominate the ball. The shots came quickly, and by the fourth quarter, the Thunder crowd seemed to understand what was happening before the scoreboard fully reflected it.
The Warriors’ official site revisited the night in May 2026 as part of a feature on the times Thompson “broke the game of basketball,” noting that his 11 threes powered him to 41 points on 14-of-31 shooting.
That is the lasting value of the NBA History post. It does not just celebrate a big scoring night. It reopens a chapter that explains why Thompson remains one of the central figures of the Warriors dynasty, even years after the peak of Golden State’s run.
“Game 6 Klay” was not born from branding. It was born from a playoff emergency, a record-setting shooting display and a Warriors season that survived because Thompson caught, turned and fired until Oklahoma City ran out of answers.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post NBA Makes Golden State Warriors, Klay Thompson Announcement appeared first on HEAVY.