Klay Thompson will play against the Golden State Warriors for the first time on Tuesday. When the Dallas Mavericks visit the Chase Center, they will see thousands of fans wearing captain’s hats, as a tribute to”the four-time NBA champion who frequently navigated the waters of the San Francisco Bay on his 37-foot fishing vessel,” as the Warriors put it in their press release. Golden State coach Steve Kerr told reporters that it will be “very emotional.” For Thompson, however, this is not the time to reminisce.
From Andscape’s Marc Spears:
“That chapter is over,” Thompson told Andscape after the Mavericks’ 122-120 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night. “I’m in the midst of trying to win here. There is no point in missing anything when we have such a great opportunity here to be great. There’s no point in looking back …
“I got to look forward. I got to try to give my best self here.”
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Thompson told Andscape the only thing he misses about the Bay Area is “the water,” but he doesn’t plan on driving his boat to Tuesday’s game.
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“I guess it’s a good thing for the fans. So, kudos to that,” Thompson said Sunday.
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“It will be good to see people that you grinded with obviously,” Thompson said Sunday. “To me it’s just another regular-season game in November. Obviously, there are bigger implications with the NBA Cup. So, that’s on our mind and on my mind, is to win that.”
Asked if he’d been in touch with former teammates Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, Thompson told Andscape, “I’m locked in. Not really. I will see them when I see them. That’s it.” He also said that he doesn’t anticipate being emotional on Tuesday.
Thompson’s time with the Warriors didn’t end how he — or anyone involved — envisioned it, but he’ll always be a legend in the Bay Area. If his return is a bit awkward, it’s because the fans want to celebrate him and he might not be ready for that yet. Less than five months ago, he decided to leave the only franchise he’d ever played for, following a difficult season and contract negotiations that didn’t go the way he wanted.
It’s one thing to say you won’t be emotional, though, and another to keep your emotions in check when a sold-out crowd is standing and saluting you before tipoff. If you loved watching Thompson in Golden State, it’s probably worth tuning in.