George Gervin on Klay Thompson: 'I don't feel he broke my record'

NBA legend George Gervin is impressed with Klay Thompson's record-breaking 37-point quarter, to be sure. But the Iceman, whose record Thompson broke in the process, doesn't believe the Golden State Warriors' sharpshooter should have the distinction of holding the all-time honor. 

Gervin's phone blew up with text messages after Thompson's historic offensive display in the third quarter of Friday's win over the Sacramento Kings. Thompson shot 13-of-13 from the field and 9-of-9 from outside during the quarter en route to a career-high 52 points in what was an astounding display of marksmanship . 

Thompson broke a record Gervin held since April 9, 1978, when the Hall of Famer went off for a 34-point quarter. There's a reason why Gervin feels his record wasn't broken: there was no 3-point line when he accomplished his feat. 

"I said, 'Wowwwww, that's pretty impressive,' " Gervin told Howard Beck of Bleacher Report about his reaction to Thompson's outburst. "But I'd like to see him try to get 33 or 37 in a quarter when there wasn't no 3-point line."

Beck notes that Gervin wasn't salty when speaking of Thompson's accomplishment. The 62-year-old just believes the two performances should be considered separate records. 

"I don't feel - and it's funny, everybody laughs - I don't feel he broke my record. I feel he set a new record. He set a new record for the new NBA." 

Gervin added: "Think about it, man. That's like if we're going to have a race, and you start on the 50-yard line and I start on the 1-yard line and we're doing a 100-yard race. It's not even." 

Gervin, who eclipsed Wilt Chamberlain's record for most points in a quarter (33), continued to elaborate on his reasoning. 

If you give a guy an advantage to break my record, it ain't on the same playing level. So I'm saying, I ain't going away that easy, by saying, 'Hey, he broke my record.' Now, I don't care what nobody say. I'm standing up for something that I'm real proud of, man ... In the system that I played, my record will never be broken.

I'm the one in the Guinness book. So if they put somebody else in the Guinness book for most points in a quarter, I'd like to see an asterisk by it.

Gervin finished his distinguished career in 1986 as a nine-time All-Star and four-time scoring champion.