No NBA team has had a better run the past decade than the Golden State Warriors. The Dubs changed the way the game is played on their way to becoming a modern dynasty, but at just 21-21, it’s looking like that dynasty is on its last legs. The Warriors look very different now than they did during their heyday, but of all the notable roster changes, Klay Thompson no longer being in a Warriors jersey is the most jarring. Along with Steph Curry, Klay was the other half of the Splash Brothers, and he single-handedly saved Golden State from elimination on multiple occasions.
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Klay left Golden State to join the Dallas Mavericks this past offseason, a move that, in retrospect, isn’t very surprising. Klay had worked hard to come back from multiple catastrophic injuries, but the reality was that he wasn’t the same player who played such a pivotal role on those title teams, and as a result, the Warriors just didn’t value him in the same way. In the end, he and the team agreed to part ways and start fresh.
Andre Iguodala, Klay’s teammate for six seasons in Golden State, appeared on The OGs podcast this week, and part of what he talked about was watching Klay mature as a player, first as his opponent, then as his teammate. He also shared his advice to Klay when it was clear that the Warriors were no longer prioritizing him.
“Just make sure you have your joy because the business part of the game can strip you of your joy, and that’s what keeps you from staying in love with the game of basketball.”
Klay Thompson needed a fresh start after a great Warriors career
Iguodala recalled matching up with Klay in the playoffs in Klay’s rookie year. Iguodala was on the Nuggets and was in the zone, but he could tell even then that with his ability to shoot and defend, Klay was special.
“George Karl was like, ‘Andre you gotta help off a little bit more, don’t be so stuck to Klay.’ And he’s a rookie, but I’m like, ‘Naw I’m watching film fam, this dude different.’
Iggy later joined the Warriors and won three titles with Klay, and he warned him to watch out for his own interests, because teams tend to discard players as they decline. Sure enough, that’s what happened. As Klay struggled to regain his peak form, the Warriors looked for other ways to extend their run.
Klay’s numbers are down in his first year with the Mavericks, but he also isn’t being asked to do quite as much due to the presence of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. The Mavs are just 1.5 games ahead of the Warriors, and both teams are struggling to stay in the Western Conference playoff race. Was it a good move for Klay to leave the only team he’s ever known? Judging by his own words, it was, as he said back in November of the move to Dallas,
“Honestly, it’s rejuvenated me and done something I needed bad just for my mental and my career. So, I really feel the love here, and I feel highly valued that I can do great things.”
However his career ends, Klay has proven that his former teammate is right that you need to have your joy. Change is inevitable, it’s how you deal with it that counts.
