“28th in 3-Pointers Attempted”: Stephen A. Smith Explains Why Klay Thompson Passed Over LeBron James’ Lakers

A few days ago, Klay Thompson officially parted ways with the Golden State Warriors. The next season will be the first time in his career that the four-time NBA Champion will represent another NBA franchise. While the Lakers had made an offer, the Dallas Mavericks managed to sign him on a $50 million contract. Stephen A. Smith talked about Thompson’s move and discussed the reasons that made him decline the chance of being teammates with LeBron James.

Stephen A. said that even though he’s not particularly pleased by this decision, he understands that it was time for Thompson to leave Golden State. He also admitted that Klay Thompson on a bad day is better than most players in the league on their best day.

As for the 34-year-old’s decision to not accept the offer that the Lakers presented to him, the veteran analyst said on a recent episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, that there are several possible reasons behind it.

He said, “California, 14.4% state income taxes, federal is about 39%, we get all of that. In the case of Dallas, he’s in Texas so there’s no state income taxes in Texas. Plus, you have Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic as your teammates. So we understand what’s that about.”

Stephen A. added that even LeBron’s commitment to take a pay cut couldn’t convince Thompson to go to LA because there would’ve been some serious hurdles on his way. Apart from the tax angle, Stephen A. believes that the Lakers don’t play the brand of basketball that Thompson is known for.

“The fact that the Lakers, while they were like top-10 in three-point shooting percentage, they were 28th in three-pointers attempted.” The ESPN analyst underlined that it must have been a worrying sign for Thompson because in that setup, he wouldn’t get the ball enough.

In a team that has veterans of the game such as LeBron and Anthony Davis, who also have a very different style of playing, it would have been tough for Thompson to find his place. Another reason why not going to the Lakers was a smart move is the rivalry that the Warriors and the Lakers have.

On the other hand, Thompson would be a perfect fit in Dallas. The Mavericks seemed to be struggling in the Finals with the absence of a veteran shooter in their lineup. So Klay can definitely make them stronger next season.