Klay Thompson names LeBron James as the toughest player he's ever guarded

Klay Thompson picks his hardest cover ever — and it's LeBron

When one of the greatest shooters in NBA history talks matchups, people listen. On a Twitch stream Friday, Klay Thompson was asked a simple question: who was the toughest player he ever had to guard? His answer came without hesitation.

"LeBron [James]," Thompson said. "We saw him for four straight Finals, and I haven't seen anyone control the game as well as he does. He can do everything on the court. He has no weaknesses."

Four straight Finals, one unforgettable rivalry

Thompson isn't speaking in the abstract. From 2015 through 2018, his Golden State Warriors and LeBron's Cleveland Cavaliers met in the NBA Finals four consecutive years a run of dominance rarely matched in league history, with each team ruling its own conference.

The Warriors won three of those four series, but the one they lost is the one everyone remembers. In 2016, James led Cleveland back from a 3-1 deficit to beat a Golden State team that had just posted the greatest regular-season record ever, 73-9. It remains the only time in Finals history a team has rallied from 3-1 down to win the title, and it's widely considered one of the defining moments of LeBron's legacy.

A dream starting five with LeBron included

The respect clearly runs deep. Beyond naming James his toughest cover, Thompson also included LeBron in his all-time dream starting five, alongside Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal high praise from someone who spent years game-planning specifically to stop him.

The Splash Brothers' place in Warriors history

Thompson's own résumé speaks for itself. Alongside Stephen Curry, he formed the "Splash Brothers," widely regarded as the greatest shooting duo the league has ever seen. Together they helped push Golden State to six NBA Finals appearances, winning four championships.

Over 11 seasons and 793 games, Thompson has averaged 19.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 0.9 steals while shooting 45.3% from the field and 41.3% from three. His career wasn't without setbacks — he missed the entire 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons recovering from a torn ACL and a torn Achilles, injuries that would've ended lesser careers but only delayed his return to form.

What's next for Thompson

Now 36 and no longer with the franchise that made him a champion, Thompson is entering the final year of his contract with the Dallas Mavericks. Whatever comes next for his career, his comments this week are a reminder that even the players who beat LeBron three times still see him as the toughest challenge they ever faced on a basketball court.