Klay implies Warriors breakup necessary, as he was ready for change

Klay implies Warriors breakup necessary, as he was ready for change originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Klay Thompson finally spoke Tuesday about his surprising Warriors departure.

At his Dallas Mavericks’ introductory press conference, sitting alongside fellow free-agent signees Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes, Thompson provided honest answers about his mindset during a turbulent 2023-24 NBA season and why he feels good about leaving the Warriors, the only NBA team he had ever known.

“Whether you play basketball or work in the corporate world or wherever, whatever industry, sometimes change just can spur greatness and a new change of scenery can do wonders,” Thompson told reporters at American Airlines Center in Dallas. “I’m very grateful for my time at Golden State, but I just felt like moving on could just re-energized me and do something special for the rest of my career.”

After spending his first 13 NBA seasons with the Warriors, Thompson opted to sign a three-year, $50 million contract with the Mavericks, joining forces with All-Stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

Tense contract negotiations between Thompson and the Warriors over the last year are well-documented, and when push came to shove, the five-time All-Star decided it was best to move on rather than return to a franchise that wasn’t prioritizing him.

“Probably a little disappointed at first, but then as time goes on, you have a lot of time to reflect and you realize what you did, they can’t take that away from you as far as the championships,” Thompson said. “I mean, records are meant to be broken, but the impact you have on the community and all that that will forever live. Sometimes, breakups are necessary to do what’s right.”

The 2023-24 NBA season didn’t go as planed for Thompson or the Warriors, with coach Steve Kerr eventually moving the longtime shooting guard to the bench in favor of rookie Brandin Podziemski.

For someone as proud as Thompson is, a reduced role was hard to swallow.

“There was times last year it was really tough,” Thompson said. “Everyone expects you to be that All-NBA player and sometimes it’s hard to consistently do…

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Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-07-09 19:41:26

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