This NBA offseason gave fans much excitement as they watched some notable players switch teams in the hope of winning an NBA championship. One of the bigger moves from the summer was former Golden State Warriors star shooting guard Klay Thompson leaving the Bay Area to join the Dallas Mavericks.
Thompson and the Warriors couldn’t come to terms on a new deal, opening the door for the departure of the five-time All-Star. While the decision to leave the Warriors was tough on Thompson, choosing his next team may have been even harder.
Among the interested parties for Thompson was the Los Angeles Lakers, the team that Thompson grew up rooting for. His dad, Mychal, played for the team during the Showtime Era in the 1980s, setting up his love for the franchise.
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His decision came down to two choices: going home to Los Angeles or heading to Dallas. Both options would have given Thompson a chance to play alongside two other star players, but in the end, Thompson chose the opposite of what many believed he would do.
Landing in Dallas gives Thompson a chance to immediately compete for a title as the Mavericks fell in the NBA Finals this past season to the Boston Celtics. But how he got to Dallas is the interesting part of it all.
Former Mavericks principal owner and now minority owner,Mark Cuban appeared on Shannon Sharpe’s show, Club Shay Shay, and discussed the addition of Thompson in Dallas. He was asked how they got Thompson to come to the Mavericks over going back home to join the Lakers.
“Credit goes to Nico (Harrison), Kyrie (Irving), and J-Kidd,” Cuban said. “They know him, they’ve played with him, they understand him and that’s literally why we brought Nico Harrison in because of his relationship to players and so they went out and spent time with him, got to know him better and really, I think Klay was ready for a move.”
Despite the pleas from his father and personal calls from Lakers star LeBron James, Thompson went against the grain and landed with the Mavericks. He now gives Dallas another knockdown 3-point shooter who can move without the ball, something that they could have used against the Celtics in the NBA Finals.
Thompson is a four-time NBA champion with the Warriors and will be looking to bring his championship pedigree with him to Dallas. If he can play within his role and perform well, there is no reason why the Mavericks can’t be seen as true title contenders once again this season.
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