Klay Thompson has found his smile again. After a year of frustration and tension at Golden State, he seemed relaxed for his presentation in his new Dallas colors. Almost appeased even, seeming to have turned the page on the Warriors, which he agreed to return to at length in front of the media. Above all, the former “Splash Brother” now wants to look ahead, with ambitious Mavericks after their final this season.
The 34-year-old admits itit was ” probably a little disappointed at first“, while his former long-time franchise did not send him the contract extension he wanted. But they can't take away what I've accomplished. ” he continued. ” Sometimes breakups are necessary to do what's right. I'm not the first person in the NBA to go through that. I grew up in Portland and when Scottie Pippen came to the Blazers, I remember it was the greatest day of my life! I'm not saying I'm Scottie, but they were close to beating the Lakers and winning a ring. I draw a lot of inspiration from other careers. Some players have blossomed. »
“Still a lot of good basketball in the tank”
With those examples in mind, Klay Thompson now wants to prove that he can do better than his 18 points at less than 39% from distance last season, almost disappointing by his standards. I'm looking forward to building momentum here, I still have a lot of good basketball in the tank. ” he insists. ” Change can spur great things, a new setting can do wonders. I'm very grateful for my years in Golden State, but I felt like moving forward could re-energize me and create something special for the rest of my career. »
Thompson has only one goal in mind now, ” I just want to win ” he repeated several times, he who lived what seems like the end of a cycle in the Bay. ” Joining Dallas was very tempting because of the young players here, the style of play, the top-notch treatment the players get from this organization, and this great city that loves its team. When I saw their run in the playoffs, I could see myself fitting in with this team. They seemed to have fun playing together, for each other. It was very appealing. »
From Curry to Doncic and Kyrie
On a team that has no shortage of talent, Klay Thompson feels he's willing to make sacrifices after finding a role off the bench last season. The five-time All-Star is convinced, however, that he's still the special, electrifying player who contributed to Golden State's four titles. You still can't leave me open ” he joked. ” I can defend… It’s just a matter of being in the best shape possible. I know I can help this team, whether it’s through my knowledge that I’ve gained over time, or through offensive cards. I just know I can be a very good player in this league. »
After being Stephen Curry's lieutenant or Kevin Durant with the Warriors, Klay Thompson will now discover life around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, two artists who should open up spaces for him to make his mark from afar. But also help him find pleasure off the court. Kyrie and I are good friends. We came into the league the same year in 2011, we played together twice for the U.S. national team. We played against each other in the biggest games for many years obviously. I was always a fan of his game. Defending him was hell, so it's nice to be on the other side for a change. »
| Klay Thompson | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2011-12 | GOS | 66 | 24 | 44.3 | 41.4 | 86.8 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 12.5 |
| 2012-13 | GOS | 82 | 36 | 42.2 | 40.1 | 84.1 | 0.4 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 16.6 |
| 2013-14 | GOS | 81 | 35 | 44.4 | 41.7 | 79.5 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 18.4 |
| 2014-15 | GOS | 77 | 32 | 46.3 | 43.9 | 87.9 | 0.4 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 21.7 |
| 2015-16 | GOS | 80 | 33 | 47.0 | 42.5 | 87.3 | 0.4 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 22.1 |
| 2016-17 | GOS | 78 | 34 | 46.8 | 41.4 | 85.3 | 0.6 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 22.3 |
| 2017-18 | GOS | 73 | 34 | 48.8 | 44.0 | 83.7 | 0.4 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 20.0 |
| 2018-19 | GOS | 78 | 34 | 46.7 | 40.2 | 81.6 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 21.5 |
| 2021-22 | GOS | 32 | 29 | 42.9 | 38.5 | 90.2 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 20.4 |
| 2022-23 | GOS | 69 | 33 | 43.6 | 41.2 | 87.9 | 0.6 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 21.9 |
| 2023-24 | GOS | 77 | 30 | 43.2 | 38.7 | 92.7 | 0.5 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 17.9 |
| Total | 793 | 33 | 45.3 | 41.3 | 85.8 | 0.5 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 19.6 | |
How to read the stats? GM = Games Played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots Made / Shots Attempted; 3pts = 3-pointers / 3-pointers Attempted; LF = Free Throws Made / Free Throws Attempted; Off = Offensive Rebound; Def = Defensive Rebound; Tot = Total Rebounds; Pd = Assists; Fte: Personal Fouls; Int = Steals; Bp = Loose Balls; Ct: Blocks; Pts = Points.
