Klay laughs off missed 360 dunk: 'Eh, I'm a champion'
Klay Thompson is getting the last laugh.
The Golden State Warriors shooting guard has been subject to extreme ridicule over a viral video of him blowing a 360 dunk attempt in China.
It was so bad that his teammate Zaza Pachulia, a lumbering 33-year-old center, challenged Thompson to a dunk contest.
But the three-time All-Star isn't letting the criticism rain on his parade. After all, he reportedly has 80 million reasons to be happy.
"Man, you've got to laugh at yourself sometimes," he recently told Nice Kicks' Nick DePaula.
"It's whatever, it was hilarious. I got so much flak from my teammates, still am. Zaza has been killing me, challenging me to a dunk contest. That's when you know you hit rock bottom: when Zaza thinks he's a better dunker than you."
Related - Watch: Klay has time of his life dancing at club in China
Thompson admitted he was initially ashamed of the gaffe, and hoped the footage wouldn't make its way across the Pacific. When it did, he was able to find solace in his new hardware.
"At first I was pretty embarrassed, (but) I'm like, 'Eh, I'm a champion,'" he said. "If that's the worst I do is miss a dunk … could be worse."
Last month, Thompson and the Warriors won their second championship in three years.
- With h/t to Bay Area News Group