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Bruce Fraser, a champion surfer and the talks Klay needed originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
SAN FRANCISCO — Straddling his surfboard in the waters of the Baja peninsula, Warriors assistant coach Bruce Fraser turns to Klay Thompson. It’s the middle of February, the 2023 NBA All-Star break. A time of hoopla and festivities for a select few, and relaxation for the rest of the league.
Fraser points to a companion of the water, a king at his sport as Thompson has been on the court.
The fellow surfer is Gerry Lopez. He’s now 74 years old, the Pipeline Masters winner in 1972 and 1973, and then named the Waterman of the Year in 1999. Thompson knows trophies, he knows accolades.
That’s not what Fraser was interested in. He knows just like Lopez, Thompson’s worth is more than recognition.
“I pointed to him as a model for Klay and just said, ‘You know, that guy lives. He’s an enlightened spirit and mind,’ ” Fraser told NBC Sports Bay Area ahead of the playoffs. “He does most things with intention. He practices yoga in the morning, he’s a very enlightened person. And I said, ‘That guy does everything with intention,’ kind of pointing to him. I said, ‘You can model your life after that.’
“This guy is not some like reckless recluse. His mind’s at a higher level, and you can see it in his intent. He was a world champion and just the way he moves and speaks and walks, he’s kind of one of those masters of higher thinking.”
At 58 years old, Fraser wants to make it clear he isn’t some guru. There was no secret sauce to his method. He didn’t make a self-help book recommendation. He didn’t go into some sermon.
“I just said, ‘That guy right there is a higher-level thinker,’ ” Fraser remembers.
Before every Warriors game, at Chase Center or on the road, Fraser can be seen conducting Steph Curry’s famed pregame routine. The two start with what looks like the beginning of a concert. There’s always some kind of creative trick shot involved. Usually a handful of half-court heaves splash to the delight of fans, home or away.
Story continues
Many connect Fraser with Curry. But he and Thompson have a different kind of connection.
The…
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Author : NBC Sports BayArea
Publish date : 2023-04-25 18:35:24
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