A Sense of Doubt blog post #3426 - Goodbye Klay Thompson
It's with great sadness that I share this news. Despite what Kerr is saying about this move being the right one for Klay Thompson, I disagree. I know it's a business, and the business is winning championships, but there's something to be said for loyalty and keeping together a core group that won you FOUR championships in the last ten years.
Though the Detroit Pistons are my first love, the Warriors have been my second favorite team since drafting Chris Webber. I loved the Baron Davis era, but I especially love this dynasty of three of my favorite all time basketball players: Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson.
What makes this free agent move in which Thompson signs with the Dallas Mavericks is that it's the DALLAS MAVERICKS.
End of an era.
You're an inspiration.
Klay Thompson posts heartfelt goodbye to Warriors, Bay Area
Klay Thompson penned a farewell post to the Golden State Warriors and their fans on Friday, calling his 13 seasons with the franchise "the best times of my life."
Thompson, 34, marked the end of an era in Golden State on Monday, when he agreed to a three-year, $50 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks. He spent his entire career with the Warriors, helping to lead them to four NBA championships.
"Oh Bay Area, there are not enough words and images to convey how I really feel about y'all," he wrote in an Instagram post Friday. "From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for the best times of my life. It was such an honor to put that Dubs jersey on from day 1. I really just wanted to be the best I could be and help bring as many championships as possible to the region. The best part was not the rings though, it was the friendships I made that will last a lifetime."
Thompson went on to write, "Don't be sad it's over, be happy it happened."
Thompson's relationship with the Warriors became increasingly strained last season over contract discussions and his looming free agency. His unhappiness grew as his role with the team fluctuated, including him being moved to a bench role in late February. A five-time All-Star, Thompson averaged 17.9 points per game last season, his lowest since 2012-13.
The Warriors wished Thompson well earlier this week, saying that they look forward to retiring his No. 11 jersey, while Stephen Curry, his fellow Splash Brother, paid tribute to him with a message on Instagram.
"Gonna miss you," Curry wrote on Instagram on Tuesday. "Even though we won't finish the journey together, what we did will never be done again. Couldn't have imagined a better run with you and [Draymond Green]. Changed the whole Bay Area. Changed the way the game is played. Killa Klay at the center of it all. Thank you for everything bro. Go enjoy playing basketball and doing what you do.
"Splash Bros 4 life my guy."
Kevin Durant, who played three seasons with Thompson, winning two titles, also saluted his former teammate Friday, calling him "a Bay Area God."
"One chapter closes, another one opens," Durant wrote on Instagram. "Keep doing u champ."
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/40510414/klay-thompson-made-right-call-moving-mavs-steve-kerr-says
Klay Thompson made right call moving to Mavs, Steve Kerr says
video link
LAS VEGAS -- After his first practice with Team USA ahead of the Olympics, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr addressed the departure of Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks and wished the five-time All-Star well after "13 incredible years."
"What he did for the team, the organization, for the Bay Area, for me personally -- the relationship that we had, all the incredible success but more importantly just going through it all together, it has been so meaningful and so amazing," said Kerr, who coached Thompson for 10 of his 13 seasons with Golden State.
"We are going to miss Klay. We wish him the best. These things rarely go like you want where you get to draw it up and execute it and everybody goes out together. We were hoping that could happen, but it didn't. We wish Klay well, but we love him and we'll miss him."
Thompson agreed to a three-year, $50 million deal to join the Mavericks as a free agent Monday, ending a run with the Warriors that resulted in four championships and the formation of the league's greatest shooting backcourt with Thompson and Stephen Curry.
But after a difficult season that saw him being pulled from the starting lineup for a time, Thompson decided it was time to make a change. Kerr said he'd talked with Thompson about his decision and that he "completely understands" where he was coming from.
"That's really my job as a coach, is to help him," Kerr said. "I think that's really been the toughest thing for Klay, dealing with the injuries and the aftermath. Two years, to be out two straight years with career-threatening injuries. Prior to that Klay ... He didn't need a lot of counsel. The last couple of years, he's needed it because this has been so tough for him. I'm amazed at his ability to come back from those injuries, to help us win another championship, to play at the level he's played at."
Kerr said the move was the right decision for Thompson.
"I think it makes sense for him in his heart to get a different change of pace, change of location," Kerr said. "Get out of California, go play on a different team. It's what's right for him right now."
Kerr is intimately familiar with the process of change from his own playing days, having seen up close how the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls teams in the late 1990s came to an end. He said that personal history helped give him context for the current state of the Warriors, and he admitted that he never felt like the team was going to have a storybook ending.
"I haven't ever had fantasies that this thing would just go on for another five, six years and Steph, Klay and Dray would retire together and I would retire with them. ... There's never been that thought," Kerr said. "I've been around the league for a long time, whether it's Chicago or other situations. It's never easy, when these things start to run out.
"But the biggest thing is the relationships endure. The memories endure. Klay's going to have a statue outside Chase [Center] someday, he'll be beloved by his teammates and coaches and our fans forever. And yeah, it's never easy. But it's all going to, I think, it'll all work out for everyone."
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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2407.05 - 10:10
- Days ago = 3290 days ago
- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I plan to continue Hey Mom posts at least twice per week but will continue to post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.
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