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Klay Thompson leaving the Golden State Warriors for the Dallas Mavericks after not being able to agree to a new contract was an emotional event for the organization and fans, and Stephen Curry revealed the emotions he felt as he was communicating with his long-time teammate throughout the process.
“It's one of those things where you never think you'd ever have that conversation,” Stephen Curry said at Team USA training camp, via Sam Amick of The Athletic. “Even to the 11th hour, when I knew all the signs were pointing towards (Thompson and the Warriors) not finding a resolution on the contract, you're thinking, ‘Maybe it'll be one of those things where he'd come out and say, ‘Oh, we got it done.'”
It is clear that Curry believed the Warriors and Klay Thompson could come to an agreement for him to stay up until the last moment. That did not happen, as now Thompson is on the Mavericks, and the Warriors have done their best to try to replace him, mainly by adding Buddy Hield.
Thompson joins a Mavericks team that just went to the NBA Finals, and he hopes to be a piece that can help them get over the hump and get Luka Doncic his first championship. They theoretically could meet up with the Warriors in the playoffs. The matchups between the two teams certainly will garner a lot of attention, especially Thompson's return to Golden State.
Stephen Curry's reaction to Klay Thompson's final decision to leave Warriors
Curry admitted that he had to hold in emotions when Thompson told him of his decision to leave. Two days later, Thompson chose the Mavericks over the Los Angeles Lakers.
“You hold out that kind of hope. But, yeah, it was a rough call,” Curry said, via Amick. “When you hear him open up on the whys (of his decision), and just how much he appreciated the friendship and being teammates and champions that we weere, there's no words that really do that justice. I know it was hard for him. You just try to keep it as cool as possible on the phone, because you don't want to be sobbing and going through that. There was a little bit (of tears). But it's one of those things where I know when I see him in person, I'll be able to give him that energy properly.”
The Splash Brothers, as the duo was famously called throughout their time with the Warriors, won four championships together, with the first coming in 2015, two more coming in 2017 and 2018, and the latest coming in 2022.
Thompson came back from serious knee and Achilles injuries to be a huge part of the 2021-22 Warriors winning the NBA title over the Boston Celtics. This past season was a struggle for Thompson though, but his shooting still should provide value for the Mavericks this season. There was a lot of tension surrounding the struggles and the contract situation that loomed over him all season. Ultimately, it was time for a change, as sad as it was for Curry.
