Draymond Green is Hyped With Klay Thompson Wearing 31 For the Mavericks

In a recent press conference, the Dallas Mavericks officially announced the arrival of Klay Thompson to Texas. Subsequently, Splash Brother’s latest jersey number of 31 for this franchise also came to the spotlight. This moment hyped his former Golden State Warriors teammate Draymond Green, prompting him to showcase his excitement publicly.

After Thompson’s decision to embrace number 31 surfaced on Instagram, it expectedly caught the eyes of DrayMagic. Upon witnessing this, the 34-year-old couldn’t hold back his delight. He consequently shared the post from his Instagram story, writing, “31 is nasty work killa”.

“31 is nasty work killa.”

Draymond Green’s IG story after seeing Klay Thompson’s new number

(via money23green / IG) pic.twitter.com/IytVLAz5CX

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 9, 2024

Green had significant reasons to respond enthusiastically to this announcement. On one hand, this resulted in a change from Thompson’s signature number 11 jersey. On the other hand, the addition of the digits on his latest number signified the total amount of championships he won with the Warriors (4).

However, Thompson cited other reasons behind choosing the current number. With Kyrie Irving already occupying the number 11 on the Mavs roster, the 5x All-Star had to pick something else. As a result, he eventually chose to wear the number 31 to pay respect to the franchise icon, Jason Terry, and one of his childhood idols, Reggie Miller. He said,

“It’s a change for me. I’m not mad at the change, I’m actually excited for it. It’s been a lot of great 31s in this franchise’s history… I watched so much footage of Reggie coming off screens as a teenager… That was an inspiration for me as well, I thought I’d have a chance to pass him in threes made so that would be a cool way to honor him, someone who really paved the way for a shooter like me.”

Regardless of Killa Klay’s intentions, Green’s excitement captured the close bond between them. Despite the abrupt end of their run together in the Bay Area, their bond has remained intact. After all, this friendship was key to these recent changes.

Draymond Green eased the decision-making process for Klay Thompson

Shortly after the confirmation of Thompson’s departure from the Warriors, Green revealed the intricate details of this consequential decision. He admitted how the California-born guard’s lackluster previous campaign paved the way for his exit. Understanding this part of the equation, the four-time champion consequently didn’t interfere with his former teammate’s choice, stating,

“The highs and the lows of last year I think was very hard on Klay…When he called me I didn’t even attempt to wanna talk him out of leaving…because to see him struggle the way he did last year, if you ever care about someone’s well-being…I hope that care you would have for that person would go far beyond what you may feel is best for you or what you wanna see”.

So, Green’s recent actions have extended this compassion between the duo. That’s why, despite Thompson joining a Western Conference rival, the Michigan-born has been supporting him in every step of the way. This bond thus transcends the field of basketball, while setting a benchmark for the rest of the NBA.