After spending 13 years with the Warriors, Klay Thompson left the franchise in free agency this offseason and joined the Mavericks on a three-year deal. The guard’s exit ended his era-defining partnership with Stephen Curry, who believes that the four-time NBA champion is his greatest teammate.
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During a Q-and-A session on Complex’s GOAT Talk show, he picked up a card that asked him to name his ‘GOAT Team Member.’ The only logical choices were Thompson and Draymond Green. However, the 36-year-old had to pick one and after hesitating to answer, he picked the veteran guard over the versatile forward. He said,
“That’s a dirty question. I guess, I’ll pick Klay Thompson, that’s my Splash Brother. Lot of great teammates to pick from, I didn’t like that question.”
The choice was difficult but him picking Thompson is understandable. Together, the duo won four championships but more importantly, changed the way basketball is played. Their shooting prowess from beyond the arc and the success that the Warriors enjoyed off it became the blueprint that every NBA wanted to replicate.
‘The Splash Brothers,’ as they are fondly known, became synonymous with each other, built an ironclad rapport on and off the court, and became one of the greatest duos in NBA history. Thompson’s exit from the franchise is a wound that’ll take a while to heal for Curry.
Stephen Curry is distraught about losing Klay Thompson as his teammate
During a conversation with ESPN’s Malika Andrews, Curry candidly claimed that he regrets missing out on giving Thompson a proper farewell. The two-time MVP added that he was glad his teammate joined a team worthy of competing for the title but admitted that he’d miss playing alongside him. He said,
“Having Klay head on to Dallas, it’s tough, it’s something that I never imagined would be a reality but you want him to be happy, you want him to be able to enjoy the game of basketball. It does suck losing Klay, there’s no two ways around it. So, you have to be able to celebrate what we accomplished but then be able to move on.”
Thompson will return to the Chase Center on November 12th for his first career game against his former team. It promises to be an emotional affair but also an opportunity for the veteran guard to showcase to the Warriors that they made a mistake in letting him leave.
