Former Golden State Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson held his first press conference as a member of the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.
Klay recently agreed to a three-year $50 million deal to leave the Golden State Warriors, who drafted him in 2011. Thompson helped the Dubs win four NBA championships in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022, but after they could not agree on a contract extension, the Splash Brother left in a hard-to-watch divorce.
“Sometimes breakups are necessary to do what’s right. I’m not the first athlete in the NBA to go do this,” Klay said . “I grew up in Portland, so I remember when Scottie Pippen came to the Blazers, that was one of the best days of my life.”
Can't still leave Klay wide open
Like Klay, Scottie Pippen played his entire career in Chicago but left after their Last Dance in 1998. Pippen helped Michael Jordan win six NBA titles from 1991 to 1998. However, Pip also encountered a contract disagreement and ended up getting traded to the Houston Rockets before moving to the Portland Trail Blazers .
When Pippen went to Houston, he played alongside an aging Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley, and it didn't work out. A 34-year-old Pippen found more success when he joined the Blazers and became the leader of a younger team that was underachieving before him.
Klay is also now 34, but he says he still has a lot of good basketball left in the tank. More importantly, the shooting touch never leaves a great shooter, and as Thompson said in the presser, "You still can't leave me open."
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Klay picked Dallas over Los Angeles
Before he ended up with the Mavericks, the 5-time NBA All-Star was also heavily courted by the Los Angeles Lakers. Thompson's dad, Mychael, who played for Magic's Showtime Lakers and currently works for them as a radio commentator, even tried his best to sell his former team to his son . However, the 11th pick of the 2011 NBA Draft chose the team where he thought he had the best shot at winning a fifth ring.
“Not many guys get a chance to win a championship or championships, at the end of their career," added Thompson during Tuesday's press event. "I think we’re set up for a great run.”
The Mavericks are coming off an appearance in the 2024 NBA Finals, where they came up short against the mighty Boston Celtics. Getting back to the title game won't be easy, given the long road ahead and the possibility of injuries. But after getting the next best shooter to Steph Curry, they've certainly given themselves a good shot at doing it all over again.
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