Professional basketball player Klay Thompson signed a three-year, $50 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks in July 2024, following 13 seasons with the Golden State Warriors.
Fans are curious as to why Klay, the son of former NBA player Mychal Thompson, chose to move to Texas after winning four titles with the San Francisco squad.
This is a brief summary of the circumstances.
The four-time champion was hoping to capture a fifth championship with the Mavericks, who were the Western Conference winners in May 2024, according to sources who spoke with ESPN. Though it seems that Klay was also considering the Lakers, the lower cost of living in Texas over California played a role in his decision to go with the Mavericks.
In April 2024, head coach Steve Kerr told the San Francisco Chronicle that when he asked Klay if he was still having fun, Klay’s “answer frequently was no.” This added fuel to the suspicions that Klay and the Warriors wouldn’t renew their deal.
As members of the Splash Brothers, Klay and Stephen Curry, a teammate from the Golden State Warriors, gained notoriety for their ability to “splash” the net with the ball—more especially, with three-pointers.
Steph described losing Klay as a teammate to reporters, saying, “It sucks,” according to USA Today. “I never thought that this would kind of be the reality, so it’s one of those that’s hard to kind of process.”
“Obviously, I knew most of the updates that were happening and trying to make sure Klay had the right support in terms of making a decision that was best for him,” Steph added. “And that’s what it kind of came down to.”
He knew exactly what he meant and still means to our organization, to me as his teammate, and to Draymond [Green]. He was in need of a change, and no, I didn’t feel the need to try to convince him. It’s just one of those situations where you have to have faith that he’s acting in his own best interests,” he continued.
Steph went on, “And I just want him to be happy.” “In the end, that is what he deserves. For as long as he wants to play, he should be able to enjoy himself while playing basketball. The fact that it simply won’t be with us is awful.
In addition, the Warriors issued a statement regarding Klay’s leaving.
In his 13 years with the Warriors, Klay Thompson made an incredible and legendary impact that will never be forgotten. He won four NBA Championships, made six trips to the NBA Finals, appeared in five NBA All-Star Games, and set several records, including the highest number of points scored in a quarter (37) and most 3-pointers made in a game (14) “the statement stated.
The statement went on: “Klay brought great and incalculable joy and happiness to Bay Area natives, Warriors fans, and Dub Nation followers worldwide. His tendency to perform well under duress on the greatest stage—many heroics in Game 6 included—has helped shape a career.”
“Klay’s legacy will live on forever and we look forward to the day we can retire his #11 jersey at Chase Center, where he will join a host of Warriors immortals, including those who helped shape this recent dynasty —himself included,” the statement continued, before ending with:
“We thank Klay for his contributions and wish him the best as another chapter in his journey is written.”