NBA

Steph Curry said it ‘sucks’ not to have Klay anymore, noting he ‘desperately’ wanted him back

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While concentrated in Team USA’s training camp, Stephen Curry addressed the media and said he doesn’t think there will be another dynasty in the NBA like the one the Warriors have had this past decade. In the wake of Klay Thompson’s departure to Dallas, the superstar assured that what he built alongside the shooting guard and Draymond Green is unlikely to be repeated. 

While being interviewed by Malika Andrews, he defended his position on how difficult it is to produce long-lasting dynasty in the league. “I mean obviously defining a dynasty can take a lot of different looks,” he told the ESPN reporter.

“People thought this was over in 2019 … but 2022 was an amazing championship because we defied the odds … That’s 11 years of almost 12 years of championship relevancy built around a certain core. I don’t think [it will be replicated] just because it’s very hard to keep things together in this league,” Curry explained.

According to the veteran, a lot has changed in the NBA that prevent dynasties from happening. “A lot more player movement,” he pointed out. “Me, Klay and Draymond, we complemented each other so well for so long. We all brought something different to the table, so we’ll see. Records are meant to be broken. Dynasties come all different shapes inside of us, so we’ll see.”

When expressing exactly what he feels when he thinks about not having Thompson next to him on the court next season, he simply said it “sucks.” The four-time champion then noted that he “desperately” wanted him back in a Golden State jersey for the upcoming campaign.

However, Steph understood that the sharpshooter needed a fresh start and wasn’t feeling the respect he needed in San Francisco. The All-Star assured that his biggest desire was for Klay to regain the joy he’s had for the basketball game during all of his career.

“It’s something that I never imagined would be a reality, but we want him to be happy,” Curry said about the partnership that he’s enjoyed since 2012. “We would have loved to maintain the core and finish out together …having Klay head on to Dallas — it’s tough.”

Warriors coach Steve Kerr used the word “bizzare” to describe what if feels not to have Thompson in the Bay Area for next season

It seems that the entire Golden State organization is still coming to terms with the fact that their championship-winning core is finally being dismantled this summer, as Klay wasn’t re-signed in California and decided to try his luck with the Mavericks for next season. His former coach used the word “bizarre” to describe the feeling.

“This has become a family over the years and people have watched us grow and stay together and succeed and fail,” Steve Kerr shared this weekend. “So Klay leaves, it’s like, yeah, it’s bizarre for us, it’s bizarre for everybody. [But] everybody is given a ton of freedom here and they have to do what’s in their heart. The best thing for Klay, he needed a change.”

Nevertheless, the Warriors roster needed a change, as they haven’t been their normal selves ever since they won the championship back in 2022. According to Curry, there was a certain comfort in having Thompson walk to the court next to him every night for over a decade, and will miss this partnership.

“We would’ve loved to maintain the core and finish out together,” the point guard expressed this Sunday in Team USA’s training camp. “… So you have to be able to celebrate what we accomplished and be able to move.”