Thompson: Warriors to 'embrace' villain role

If the Golden State Warriors didn't have their fair share of haters before, they certainly have them now.

With superstar forward Kevin Durant now a resident of the Bay Area, the Warriors have quickly earned the title of villain entering the 2016-17 campaign.

And while many around the league will root for the Warriors to fail, starting shooting guard Klay Thompson is more than ready for any animosity that may come Golden State's way.

"The NBA season can get mundane; 82 games are so long and there can be some boredom," Thompson told The Vertical's Shams Charania. "Now, we can embrace being the hated team and getting everyone’s best, and adding some tension every night. It’ll be a fun experience going into arenas on the road, with opposing fans hating what we’ve built."

Liked or not, Golden State will enter next season as the odds-on favorite to win the title - something Thompson and co. value more than the degree of admiration they receive from opposing fans.