The Golden State Warriors would’ve never won four rings in the past eight years if it wasn’t for Klay Thompson. His clutch shooting, outstanding defense, and epic playoff performances made life easier for Steve Kerr and Stephen Curry over the years.

Some even claim that Thompson would be considered the greatest pure shooter of all time if it wasn’t for Curry. And while that’s a bold take, I wouldn’t be the one to disagree with that assessment.

But Father Time is ruthless, and Thompson missed a lot of time with back-to-back major injuries. That’s why he wants people to take it easy on him as he slowly works his way back to the top.

NBA News: Emotional Klay Thompson Admits He Needs More Time To Get Back To His Old Self

“It hurts when someone like Charles Barkley, with the platform he has, says you’re not the same player as prior to the injuries you had,” Thompson said in a press conference.“It’s like, no duh, man. I tore my ACL and my Achilles in consecutive years and still helped a team win a championship. I mean, that hurt hearing that. Because it’s like, man, I put in so much freaking effort to get back to this point. Like, it’s hard to even put into words what I had to do to be the player I am today.”

“I played 55, 57 games in three years, like, give me some freaking time to get that back,” Thompson added. “To hear someone say, ‘Oh, he’s not the same as he was prior to the injuries.’ Like, duh. Who goes through something like that and comes back? Like, I don’t know, it just hurt my heart hearing that. But, you know what? I’m gonna internalize it and it’s gonna be fuel for me to be even better. I’m very proud of what we accomplished last year, and I feel like I was a huge part of it. I’m not gonna let these injuries be a crutch for me. I’m just gonna keep going and I’m gonna have a great year. Bet on that.”

Thompson is a relentless competitor and the ultimate gym rat, so you know he means what he’s saying. So, even if he never goes back to being the perennial All-Star he once was, you better believe you haven’t seen the last of him just yet.