Klay Thompson was selected 11th overall by the Golden State Warriors in the 2011 NBA Draft out of Washington State, and what followed was one of the most accomplished careers of his generation.
Alongside Stephen Curry, Thompson formed the Splash Brothers, helping redefine modern NBA offense while becoming one of the greatest shooters in league history. He won four championships with the Warriors in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022, appeared in six NBA Finals and earned five All-Star selections.
Thompson has since spent the last two years of his career with the Dallas Mavericks, completing his 13th NBA season in 2025-26.
© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Despite his accomplishments, Thompson has never been shy about showing appreciation for players he respects around the league.
On Sunday, he reacted to a throwback clip of Tim Duncan carrying Aron Baynes off the floor after the San Antonio Spurs’ Game 7 playoff loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2015. The video prompted Thompson to reveal his favorite Australian basketball player.
“I’m sorry Brock Motum, Danté Exum, and Andrew Bogut. But Baynesee has always been my favorite Aussie,” Thompson wrote on his Instagram stories.
Baynes was born in New Zealand but moved to Australia at a young age and went on to become one of the most recognizable members of the Australian national team. Like Thompson, he attended Washington State before beginning a professional career overseas.
After going undrafted in 2009, Baynes spent several years developing in Europe before joining the Spurs in 2013. He won an NBA championship with San Antonio in 2014 and later played for the Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns and Toronto Raptors. Across 522 NBA games, he averaged 6.0 points and 4.6 rebounds.
His best individual performance came in March 2020, when he recorded a career-high 37 points and 16 rebounds for Phoenix against the Portland Trail Blazers.
A serious spinal cord injury suffered during the Tokyo Olympics eventually ended his NBA career, though Baynes later returned to professional basketball in Australia before retiring in 2024.
