Klay Thompson shared what happened between him and his father, Lakers commentator and former player Mychal Thompson after Klay joined the Mavericks instead of his hometown franchise. His father publicly expressed how upset he was over the decision to go to Dallas, but the pair seemed to have moved on.
“Yeah, my dad was disappointed. We didn’t really talk much about it, but at the end of the day, he was happy for me. He was a little selfish in his business interest because he wanted me to get home to the family. I was like, ‘Dad I’ve been in California my whole life. I gotta experience something new.’ He understood.”
Klay revealed that Mychal is now on board with the decision to join the Mavericks as he sees the potential for his son to thrive in that system.
“He’s actually excited for me and thinks we have a great shot at doing something special, not just this year but for many years, so he was all on board when the dust settled and he realized it was a match made in heaven.”
Klay Thompson’s response to the displeasure of his dad, Mychal Thompson, who wanted him to play for the Lakers:
“Yeah, my dad was disappointed…At the end of the day, he was happy for me. I was like, ‘Dad I’ve been in California my whole life. I gotta experience something new.’” pic.twitter.com/AUfDUGzzvA
— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) July 9, 2024
Thompson could’ve easily been back home in Los Angeles this summer and looking forward to playing the next four years on an $80 million contract for the Lakers. Instead, he chose to join the reigning West champions in Dallas by signing a three-year $50 million deal with the Mavericks.
He shared how he wanted a change of scenery and new energy to rediscover success on the court, which is what he got with a move to leave LA for Texas.
“Well, I mean, whether you play basketball or work in the corporate world or whatever industry sometimes change just can spur greatness and a new change of scenery can do wonders. I’m very grateful for my time at Golden State, but I just felt like you know moving on could just re-energize me and do something special for the rest of my career.”
The Lakers do provide a different allure, but they also bring a spotlight that Klay believed would be just as negative as the one that surrounded him in his last year with the Warriors.
Klay averaged 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists last season, shooting 38.7% from three on 9.0 attempts per game.
Klay’s Decision Was Basketball Oriented
Klay’s decision seems purely related to basketball, as he took less money to join a team with two world-class perimeter talents in Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on a team that creates the most open 3-point opportunities in the NBA.
“I don’t think you can stick to me as much as you could do in the past with guys like Luka and Kyrie out there. That was attractive to me.”
Given the Mavericks shooting struggles in the NBA Finals, something Klay watched closely, the decision to sign with them seems like the right move.
“So when I was watching the playoffs and I’m watching the Mavs, you know make a run for the championship I just saw myself fitting in really well with this team and the personnel and they look like they have fun playing with each other… They play for each other and that was very attractive for me and that’s really all I needed to see and there’s mutual interest there.”
There will be defensive concerns to overcome for Klay on the Mavericks if he’s a full-time starter, as he’ll be expected to hold up as well as cover for any deficiencies from Doncic or Irving. If he can’t hold up defensively, he’ll have to fight for his starting sport with positive defenders such as Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes also joining the team.
Nonetheless, there’s plenty to be excited about for fans of the Mavericks next season, as the team projects to be among the top-four contenders in the West.
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