Klay Thompson, who won four rings alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, returns to the Golden State on Tuesday. Here's a look at his new life in Dallas after his move to the Mavericks.
considered bringing a Boston Whaler to Dallas, figuring it would be a good boat to dock at one of the local lakes, allowing him to indulge in his most prominent off-court passion after leaving the San Francisco Bay Area for his new NBA home.
Thompson, who will be feted by his former franchise when he returns to San Francisco on Tuesday night to face the Warriors for the first time , isn't searching for peace of mind on those occasional bike rides to the lake. "Honestly, it's rejuvenated me and done something I needed bad just for my mental and my career," Thompson said. "So, I really feel the love here, and I feel highly valued that I can do great things."SCOTTIE PIPPEN CAME
Pippen had a bridge season with theHouston Rocketsbetween the Bulls being broken up after "The Last Dance" championship run and his arrival in Portland. Pippen also had hard feelings toward his original franchise that Thompson is adamant he does not hold for the Warriors -- no matter how uncomfortable he felt at times in his final season with Golden State.
The Warriors discussed a two-year, $47 million contract extension before last season, but a deal was never close to happening, sources told ESPN. Green had signed a four-year, $100 million extension months earlier, but the Warriors never indicated the willingness to make that kind of commitment to Thompson at this stage of his career.
"With what we did, I'll have a bond forever with those guys. It's just a special bond. That's what I'm trying to do here. When you win, that lasts forever. And that's greater than any salary you could ever earn, in my opinion."tenure in Golden State, Thompson developed a familiar pregame routine. He'd hit the court a little more than an hour before tipoff.
Durant has been through the experience of leaving a longtime home multiple times, although the circumstances surrounding his early-prime departure from theOklahoma City Thunder to the Warriors beforebouncing -- two titles, three Finals appearances and a few years later -- to the Brooklyn Netsthen to thePhoenix Sunsare drastically different.
During the preseason, Dallas coach Jason Kidd, who changed franchises four times during his Hall of Fame career as a point guard, cautioned that it would be an "82-game journey" to incorporate Thompson into the Mavericks' system that revolves around the creative brilliance of Doncic and Irving.
On one occasion in the opener, Doncic started jogging back on defense and celebrating as soon as his pass hit Thompson's hands. The Spurs had busted their defensive coverage on the Mavericks' "Stack" play, a set known throughout the league as a Spain pick-and-roll, where a spot-up threat sets a back screen on the opposing big man before popping out to the wing as a wrinkle on the traditional pick-and-roll.
Irving-Kyrie Green-Draymond Dallas-Mavericks Golden-State-Warriors Doncic-Luka Thompson-Klay Curry-Stephen Nba 15540346
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Warriors Plan Unique Welcome Back For Mavericks' Klay ThompsonKlay Thompson makes his return to the Bay Area on November 12th
Read more »
With Klay Thompson, a new “Big Three” can Dallas Mavericks win a title?Each member of the new All-Star trio is capable of scoring at least 25 points on any given night, which makes Dallas a lethal offensive team.
Read more »
Golden State Warriors Fans React to Klay Thompson's Mavericks DebutKlay Thompson made his Dallas Mavericks debut against the San Antonio Spurs.
Read more »
Warriors to honor Klay Thompson in return to Chase Center with MavericksKlay Thompson will return to the Bay Area to face his former team for the first time since leaving Golden State to join the Dallas Mavericks on a three-year, $50 million contract.
Read more »
How Klay Thompson made Mavericks history in triumphant debut vs. SpursKlay Thompson's Dallas Mavericks debut was a smashing success, full of viral moments and historic 3-point shooting.
Read more »
Mavericks' Klay Thompson Makes First Official BasketWelcome to Dallas, Klay Thompson! Watch as he knocks in his first official basket as a Maverick
Read more »