Warriors’ Klay Thompson Aiming for ‘Space Jam 2’ Oscar Nomination

Filming is complete on Space Jam 2, and one of the stars of the movie is excited for the critical reception. In fact, Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors even said that he believes his performance in the movie is Oscar Worthy. He doesn’t even care about which category.

“It’s all done … your boy is going for the Oscar nod,” Thompson jokingly said to NBC Sports Bay Area. “Supporting?! Best animated series!? I don’t know.”

Monday, the Golden State Warriors met with reporters for the annual media day that leads into training camp and the preseason. This was the first opportunity for the new and returning players to take photos in their jerseys and answer myriad questions about their recovery from injuries or the season prospects. For Thompson, however, it was also the time to discuss his role in Space Jam 2.

While animated movies are generally a long shot to win an Academy Award other than Best Original Song or Best Animated Feature, Thompson could make an argument based on showing up to the set at less than 100 percent. Mere days prior to the beginning of filming, Thompson underwent successful surgery on his ACL. He suffered an injury during game six of the NBA Finals but waited until July to go under the knife.

This timeline meant that Thompson was showing up to the Space Jam 2 set on crutches. This could have severely impacted his performance in the movie, but he still participated in scenes with LeBron James, Damian Lillard, and other NBA stars. To add to the situation, Thompson was also forced to shave off his beard, something that he was unhappy about doing.

There isn’t an Academy Award for playing hurt, but if there was, Thompson would be aiming to take the trophy home.

Originally a first-round pick in by the Warriors in the 2011 NBA Draft, Thompson has been with the northern California team for his entire career. He has been named an NBA All-Star five separate times and was named All-Rookie First-Team in 2012.

Thompson is considered one of the most successful shooters in the league after achieving a field goal percentage of .459, and he has helped the Golden State Warriors win the NBA Championship three separate times.

At this point, Thompson is certainly viewed as a better basketball player than an actor, but he is on a mission to change that opinion. Winning an Oscar would certainly aid in that pursuit, especially considering that he was joking about taking home the award.