Klay Thompson returned to the Bay Space on Tuesday night time for the primary time since leaving the Golden State Warriors.
Thompson and the Mavericks arrived on the Chase Heart in San Francisco for his or her opening sport within the NBA Cup on Tuesday, and Thompson rapidly obtained an enormous reception from followers each within the enviornment and from these ready exterior as he arrived.
The sport was dubbed “Salute Captain Klay” night time, and followers obtained a white captain’s hat with a Warriors emblem on it in honor of Thompson — who used to take a ship to video games when he performed for the Warriors. The crew performed a tribute video forward of the sport, too, and gave Thompson an enormous ovation on the court docket.
Thompson signed a three-year, $50 million cope with the Mavericks this previous offseason. That formally ended his unbelievable run with the Warriors, which produced 4 championships over an eight-season span. The Warriors chosen Thompson with the No. 11 general choose in 2011 out of Washington State, and he rapidly grew to become each a fan favourite within the Bay Space and a essential a part of the Warriors’ dynasty alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Inexperienced as different items got here and went.
Although he mentioned he nonetheless cherishes the run he went on at Golden State to kick off his profession within the league, Thompson is solely targeted on placing it behind him for now.
“That chapter is over,” Thompson advised Andscape’s Marc J. Spears on Sunday. “I’m within the midst of attempting to win right here. There isn’t a level in lacking something when we’ve got such an important alternative right here to be nice. There’s no level in wanting again … I bought to look ahead. I bought to attempt to give my greatest self right here.”
Thompson averaged 17.9 factors per sport final season at Golden State, which was his worst output in additional than a decade. He shot worse than 40% from behind the arc for simply the second time in his profession, too. Thompson left the Warriors ranked sixth in complete factors scored in crew historical past, fourth in video games performed and second to Stephen Curry in made 3-pointers. He additionally holds the NBA document with 14 made 3-pointers in a single sport, which he set with the Warriors in 2018.
The 34-year-old entered Tuesday’s sport averaging 13.8 factors and three.7 rebounds with 2.9 made 3-pointers per sport thus far this season in Dallas. The Mavericks have been 5-5 coming into Tuesday.
Whereas gamers don’t all the time get a heat reception on their first few journeys again to their previous arenas, Thompson clearly continues to be in an excellent place with the Warriors’ fan base.
“I’m wanting ahead to it,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr mentioned Sunday, by way of Spears. “I feel all of us are. It is going to be very emotional. I do know our followers are equipped for it and might’t wait to see Klay.”