Thompson thinks Klay gave up the perfect situation to finish his career in the two he grew up.
When it was clear that Klay Thompson would not finish his NBA career where he started it, the four-time NBA champ dialed his dad, former Los Angeles Lakers forward Mychal Thompson, and asked him for advice.
Not surprisingly, Mychal told Klay that ending his career with the Los Angeles Lakers would be the perfect scenario for him. Not only was it also the team where older Thompson finished his own NBA career, but the 6’5″ guard grew up admiring and rooting for the Purple and Gold as he was a huge Kobe Bryant fan. And as the two-time champion said on the “Run it Back” podcast, the stars looked so aligned for his son in L.A.
“He’s got his boat down there in Marina del Rey; his house is five or ten minutes away from the practice facility in Hermosa Beach. Everything was perfect for him to finish his career here. His family’s here. His nephews and nieces are here. He can see them grow up in the next few years together. They could come to games. So I thought it was the perfect situation for him to finish his career,” said the former No.1 pick.
Luka and Kyrie convinced him to go to Big D
At first, it looked like the Washington State product would be a Warrior for life. Golden State selected him 11th overall in the 2011 NBA Draft. He would be paired with Stephen Curry in a backcourt known as the “Splash Brothers” because of their uncanny ability to hit the three-point shot.
That expertise turned the Warriors into a dynasty team that won four championships from 2015 to 2022. You could argue that they could have won more if Kevin Durant and Klay had not gotten hurt in the 2019 NBA Finals.
Instead, that Achilles injury was the turning point of “Killa Klay’s” career in The Bay. After last season, he chose to leave in free agency after he and the Dubs could not agree on a number.
“It sounded like he was leaning towards that way when we hung up the phone. The next thing I knew, he was gonna talk to Luka and Kyrie. He’s a friend of Kyrie’s, and they convinced him to come to Dallas. But I always thought this would be a perfect fit for him even though I’m sure things will work out well in Dallas,” added the former Showtime Lakers forward.
Klay was very disappointed when Luka got traded
The four-time champ got his wish to play alongside Luka and Kyrie via a three-year $50 million sign-and-trade deal between the Warriors and Mavericks.
When they started to get the hang out of each other, the Mavs shockingly traded Doncic to the Lakers for Anthony Davis. According to Mychal, Klay was disappointed with the move and what Dallas got in return.
“Losing Luka was a disappointment, but you didn’t trade him for some backup center or role player. You’re getting a legitimate all-NBA big man who’s only 32 and got 4 or 5 prime years left. So even though he was disappointed to lose Luka because he liked him personally and as a teammate, I said, ‘Man, just appreciate Anthony Davis cuz he’s gonna make your job, your life a lot easier having that big guy to bail you out of situations,” continued the elder Thompson.
Unfortunately for the five-time All-Star and the Mavs, AD got hurt in his team debut. Kyrie suffered a season-ending injury later. Although they may have kissed their title hopes goodbye, the Mavs are 5-1 with Davis playing, and they are hanging around at 9th place and in play-in position.
Hopefully, AD stays healthy so that when Kyrie returns sometime next season, the Mavs can finally prove their detractors wrong, and Klay can vindicate choosing Dallas over Los Angeles.
