OAKLAND -- The prevailing image of Klay Thompson is that of someone on his own little planet, blissfully unaware of the real world, whose focus goes no further than shooting jump shots and playing with his dog.
That's selling him short, however.
Though Thompson often can be a reluctant interview subject, the All-Star guard is finding his voice, which reveals a more contemplative soul than one might imagine.
Take, for example, a comment Thompson made Tuesday after the Warriors concluded practice -- and after he had concluded his interview session with assembled media -- addressing the wildfires raging through Napa and Sonoma counties.
"I just want to say one thing," he began. "For all the families affected by these fires, it's terrible. It puts life in perspective, what's important. I know there have been some deaths, and it's just really tragic.
"Us players will do something about when things calm down. But it sucks.
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"Our thoughts and prayers are with all the families affected, because that's no fun. That's just a terrible situation."
No one would have thought twice if Thompson, still dragging from jet lag in the wake of returning from China on Sunday night, had slid out of his chair at the earliest possible moment and ambled to his car to go home and nap next to his dog, Rocco.
Indeed, Thompson's well-earned reputation is of rushing through group interviews as quickly as possible, with the least conceivable spectacle.
But he had something he wanted to say and nobody was going to stop him. It wasn't much, yet it was thoughtful and timely. More to the point, he was unprompted.
And these comments came two weeks after Thompson tweeted his appreciation of "all the firefighters and first responders working so hard" in battling another blaze, this one in the East Oakland hills, just above I-580.
Thompson's worldview is expanding. Or, maybe, he's just more willing to share what he sees and how he feels.
