Warriors' Klay Thompson hits seven 3s vs. Kings, still motivated by draft night snub: 'People don't forget'

The Kings took Jimmer Fredette with the No. 10 overall pick, while Thompson went 11th to the Warriors

Klay Thompson has struggled at times since returning from a two-plus year absence due to multiple major surgeries, but the Golden State Warriors star is starting to look more and more like his old self. That continued on Thursday night in the Warriors' 126-114 win over the lowly Sacramento Kings. 

Just a few minutes into the game, Thompson drove left and was cut off by Harrison Barnes. He had to settle for a tough leaner but got it to go off the glass and never looked back. In 23 minutes, Thompson went 8-for-11 from the field, including 7-for-9 from 3-point land, and finished with 23 points, five rebounds and seven assists. 

This was by far his best all-around game since he's been back, and perhaps we should have expected it would come against Sacramento. After the win, Thompson says he's still motivated by the Kings' draft snub over a decade ago. 

"Hey man, 2011 NBA Draft. With the 10th pick, the Sacramento Kings don't select me," Thompson said. "People don't forget. That's all I gotta say."

Sacramento took former BYU star Jimmer Fredette with the 10th pick that year, a decision that obviously did not work out. Fredette played just 171 games for the Kings before they bought him out, while Thompson has played 123 games in the postseason alone with the Warriors. Thompson notably had his record-setting 37-point quarter against Sacramento in 2015 and averages 21.1 points per game against the Kings for his career. That's his fourth-highest scoring average versus any team in the league. 

The big night meant a lot to Thompson, and not just because it was against the Kings. 

"That felt so dang good," Thompson said. "With everything I've been through, I just really appreciate nights like this. The shooting part is so much fun, and when you see hard work paying off, it hits different now than it did a few years ago. Being happy can be so fragile doing what we do, and it can be taken away from you in an instant."

Unfortunately for Thompson, the Warriors only have one more game left with the Kings this season, but if he truly has his groove back it won't matter who they're playing.