Klay Thompson believes he’s the missing piece the Mavericks need to win championship

During Klay Thompson’s introductory press conference with the Mavericks this Tuesday, he recalled telling Luka Doncic he was on the path to greatness after the Warriors beat his team in the Western Conference Finals two seasons ago. Now that he’s left the Bay Area, he couldn’t hide his excitement knowing he will now follow this road alongside the Slovenian star. 

The veteran guard expressed why he admired the Dallas player. “He was real gracious in defeat,” he said of Doncic. “I just appreciate someone who is not afraid of the moment and competes till the end. Luka fits that bill. I think we’ll be able to bring the best out of each other.”

Despite Thompson’s 13-year success in Golden State, where he conquered four NBA titles, he recognized he had a difficult campaign last year. One of his lowest moments was when he ended with a scoreless, 0-for-10 display in a defeat against the Kings in the Play-In Tournament.

Klay Thompson: Dallas Maverick.@KlayThompson // #MFFL pic.twitter.com/4dVywm0hRf

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) July 9, 2024

Now that he’s been given another chance, he had to chose between many franchises interested in his services. However, watching the Mavs compete in the NBA Finals helped him understand where his future lied in the twilight of his career.

“I was watching just as a basketball fan, and I did see, like, ‘Man, I could really help this team. They’re right there,’” Klay assured. “Not big adjustments, but just very little adjustments from getting over the top. We’re knocking on the door, and that’s what really got me excited to be here.”

The former Pistons player was already on board when he received the news of Thompson’s acquisition. “I told everybody, ‘I’m about to get a ring,’” Grimes shared. “One of the best shooters of all time, for me as a shooter coming in, I’m going to learn from him every day. We’ve got a good group of guys, and when we got Klay, I’m like, ‘The sky’s the limit.’”

The former Splash Brother hopes to improve his game this upcoming campaign after coming off his lowest scoring average in over a decade, with 17.9 points per match, plus matching his career-worst shooting by 38.7% from the deep.

Thompson admitted he lost the joy for the game many times last season, but now embraces this new opportunity with great enthusiasm

This past tournament was an unusual one for the veteran sharpshooter, as he hadn’t come off the bench since his rookie year. Just last season, he wasn’t seen in the starting lineup 14 different times, and he later admitted this took a toll on his motivation and love for the basketball game.

“There was times last year it was tough, where it wasn’t as joyful as it had it been in the past,” Klay acknowledged. “It’s nice to kind of shed that and have a whole new fresh start, whole new group of guys to get to know. A whole new city. It’s really cool. And I’m going to embrace the heck out of this opportunity.”

Assistant general manager Michael Finley explained why pursuing the five-time All-Star was an obvious choice. “Everyone wants to be a part of a winner,” he said. “In the past, Dallas has had some winning teams, but we just couldn’t get over the hump of being a consistent winner. Winning is very easy to sell to athletes nowadays.”

One thing for sure is, Thompson knows how to win a game. “At this point in my career, still can’t leave me open. I can guard, and I’m just excited,” said the four-time champion. “I know I can help this team, whether it’s the knowledge I’ve gained, or big, big scoring nights. I just still know I can be a very, very good player in this league.”