At the start of the offseason, Klay Thompson joined the Dallas Mavericks. The four-time NBA champion is paired with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. The Western Conference champions from last season will benefit from his sharp shooting and interior defense, which will allow them to compete for another trip to the NBA Finals.
In an interview with the DLLS Mavs podcast, Marc Stein claimed that Thompson’s decision to move to Texas was largely influenced by Irving’s friendship with the former Golden State Warriors star. The two first became close at the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
“I covered the 2016 Olympics and the 2014 World Cup, where they were teammates, and you could tell Klay had a real admiration for Kyrie,” Stein said. “…There’s no doubt, Kyrie Irving “He’s one of the players and peers that Klay Thompson really, really, really respects. And that was a huge factor for the Mavs because it’s always great when players can be advocates for your push into free agency… When a peer makes you an offer, it resonates more strongly than not.”
A couple of recent comments from Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd are backed up by Stein’s report. He recently said that Irving’s friendship with Thompson tipped the scales in Dallas’ favor on the newly-created “Dubs Talk” podcast on NBC Sports Bay Area.
“When you talk about recruiting, a lot of people were involved. But one of the biggest players in that was Kai,” Kidd said. “… It was a team effort. But I think player to player — in this league, they all talk about their situations and they all recruit each other — it was about Kai and Klay being able to talk.”
Thompson isn’t the Mavericks’ main man compared to the Warriors. He has fewer responsibilities on his shoulders. In Dallas, he’ll be a precision or movement shooter whose job is to spread the floor for Irving and Doncic. The aging All-Star could find freedom in this smaller role and a new lease on life on the court.
Thompson’s arrival will be justified if he helps the Mavericks make a run to the NBA Finals in the coming years. His arrival gives the Mavericks’ rotation championship experience, which could prove very beneficial in the future. It appears that Irving has been instrumental in making that happen.
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