Video of Klay Thompson praising Kyrie Irving while making Warriors career regrets resurfaces after Mavs move
One of the biggest stories of free agency thus far is Klay Thompson leaving the Golden State Warriors for the Dallas Mavericks. After the move became final, old footage surfaced about his biggest regret involving one of his newest teammates.
For most of the 2010s, the Warriors battled it out in the NBA Finals with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. While Golden State had the upper hand most of the time, the Cavs made history in 2016. Along with coming back from 3-1 down, Kyrie Irving also delivered one of the biggest shots in Finals history that series.
Following Klay Thompson's deal to the Mavericks, some dug up an older interview of his on the "All The Smoke" podcast. During the episode, he admits the biggest regret of his career was letting Steph Curry guard Irving on that play in Game 7.
"The other biggest regret I have in my basketball career was switching that pick-and-roll with Steph with J.R. and Kyrie," Thompson said. "I can't bring myself to watch that footage."
Fast forward to now, and Thompson and Irving are joining forces in Dallas. Alongside Luka Doncic, they will look to try and deliver the Mavs a championship after falling just short last season.
Kyrie Irving played role in Klay Thompson joining the Dallas Mavericks
Early on in free agency, it became apparent that Klay Thompson likely wasn't returning to the Golden State Warriors. Among the teams with serious interest in signing him was the LA Lakers. There were even rumblings that LeBron James would take a sizable pay-cut to make a move like this happen.
Knowing that the Lakers were going to put together an impressive pitch, the Mavericks pulled out all the stops to lure Thompson to Dallas. Despite being rivals for so long, Kyrie Irving reportedly played a part in the signing.
Having played with Klay Thompson for Team USA, the Mavs brought in Irving for the free-agent meeting. Dallas did so in hopes of countering the Lakers, who likely had LeBron present to speak with the former All-Star and champion.
Irving being around seemed to have paid off for the Mavericks, as Thompson opted to sign with them over LA. Dallas being three wins away from a championship last year was also likely another primary factor in his decision.
From a fit standpoint, Thompson should instantly be a strong complementary piece in Dallas. With the attention Irving and Luka Doncic draw from defenses, it should result in a plethora of open looks for the veteran marksman. Also, his championship experience should help Dallas as they look to contend in 2025.
While his numbers have taken a slight dip, Thompson is still a productive player in the NBA. Last season for the Warriors, he averaged 17.9 points on 38.7% shooting from beyond the arc.