Klay Thompson has been a crucial player behind the recent success of the Golden State Warriors. However, the four-time NBA champion shocked everyone by leaving the Warriors and joining the Dallas Mavericks. While several Warriors players were emotional about Thompson’s departure, the Mavericks coach revealed some surprising reasons behind Thompson’s decision to join the Mavericks.
In a recent interview on the latest episode of NBC Sports Bay Area’s “Dubs Talk,” Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd mentioned that several people were involved in the recruitment of Thompson, but Irving played the key role.
“When you talk about the recruitment, it was a lot of people that were involved in that. But one of the biggest players in that was Kai. Kai being able to, player to player, his experience of what Dallas has been like for him in two years and being able to tell Klay the honest truth of what he thinks can happen with Klay coming to Dallas.” Kidd said.
According to Kidd, Irving met with Thompson before his deal and clearly illustrated what he thought would happen if Thompson signed with the Mavericks.
Kid Unveils Thompson’s Intriguing Mindset Before Mavericks Move
Kid went into further detail regarding Thompson’s mindset prior to joining the Mavericks. The Mavericks coach mentioned that Thompson could have easily stayed with the Warriors but he preferred to make an attempt to learn more about the Mavericks by conducting some investigation.
“And I also believe Klay did his homework, just understanding the situation. It would have been an easy for him to stay (with the Warriors or elsewhere in California). So, he had to put in some effort of doing some homework to see what Dallas was all about.” Kidd added.
Thompson displayed stellar talent while playing for the Warriors alongside star players Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. The 34-year-old guard clinched 4 NBA championships for the Warriors.
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According to StatMuse, Thompson averaged 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 77 games in the 2023-24 season. Seeing what Thompson can accomplish with the Mavericks in the upcoming season will be exciting.
