Klay Thompson sings praises of 'down to earth' Kyrie Irving at first Mavs' presser
Klay Thompson has joined the Dallas Mavericks, providing firepower to a backcourt already featuring Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic with his shooting prowess. During his first press conference with the team, the former Golden State Warriors star praised Irving.
Klay Thompson and Irving have a history of NBA Finals matchups, facing off when the Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers clashed in the playoffs for four consecutive seasons. Irving appeared in three of those finals and hit the clinching shot in Cleveland's 2016 championship win, where they overcame a 3-1 deficit.
Now teammates with Irving, Klay Thompson shared how down-to-earth and inspiring he finds his former finals rival.
“I've known Kai for a long time,” Thompson said. “He's been super down-to-earth ever since I met him. Just a very gracious person.”
“For him to come here and embrace the city and embrace the role he has. It's inspired me, I mean they were so close to winning the whole thing. I think we can help get them over that hump.”
Joining the Mavericks marks the end of Thompson’s tenure with the Warriors, where he averaged 19.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. He was a five-time All-Star and won four NBA championships.
Klay Thompson reveals the first thing Luka Doncic told him after joining the Mavericks
Transitioning from playing with Steph Curry in Golden State to teaming up with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in Dallas, Thompson quickly received a warm welcome from Doncic.
“He (Doncic) texted me, saying how excited he is,” Thompson said. “I relayed the same message back and I think there's definitely mutual respect there.”
Thompson brings shooting and championship experience to the Mavericks, who reached the Finals this year but were defeated by the Boston Celtics.
Thompson has a career 3-point shooting percentage of 41.3%. However, his 3-point shooting percentage of 38.7% in the 2023-24 season was the second-lowest of his career and only the second time he has shot below 40% from beyond the arc.
He also shot 43.2% from the field, one of the lowest in his career. Despite these struggles, he achieved a career-best free-throw shooting percentage of 92.7% this past season.
In 2023-24, his final season with Golden State, Thompson averaged 17.9 points while shooting 38.7% from 3-point range over 77 games. It was his first season averaging under 20 points since 2013-14.
In his final game with the Warriors, a Play-In Tournament matchup against the Sacramento Kings, he went 0-10 from the field.