LAS VEGAS — After his first practice with Team USA before the Olympics, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr discussed Klay Thompson’s departure to the Dallas Mavericks and wished the five-time All-Star luck after “13 incredible years.”
“What he’s done for the team, the organization, for the Bay Area, for me personally — the relationship that we’ve had, all the incredible success but more importantly, going through it all together, it’s been so meaningful and so incredible,” said Kerr, who coached Thompson for 10 of his 13 seasons with Golden State.
“We will miss Klay. We wish him the best. These things rarely go the way you want them to, it’s up to you to plan and execute and everyone comes together. We hoped it would happen, but it didn’t. We wish Klay well, but we love him and we will miss him.”
Thompson agreed to a three-year, $50 million contract to join the Mavericks as a free agent on Monday; the trade with Dallas, which included six teams in total, was officially announced Saturday night. It marked the end of a run with the Warriors that culminated in four championships and the formation of the league’s best backcourt with Thompson and Stephen Curry.
But after a difficult season that saw him sidelined from the starting XI for a period, Thompson decided it was time to make a change. Kerr said he had spoken to Thompson about his decision and “completely understood” where he was coming from.
“That’s really my job as a coach, to help him,” Kerr said. “I think that’s really the hardest thing for Klay, dealing with injuries and the aftermath. Two years, being out two years in a row with career-threatening injuries. Before that, Klay… He didn’t need a lot of guidance. The last couple of years, he’s needed it because it’s been really tough on him. I’m impressed with his ability to come back from those injuries, help us win another championship, play at the level he’s played at.”
Kerr said the decision was the right one for Thompson.
“I think it makes sense for him to change pace, change location,” Kerr said. “Get out of California, go play for another team. That’s what works best for him right now.”
Kerr knows the process of change well from his playing days, having seen firsthand how Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls teams of the late 1990s ended. He said his personal story helped put the Warriors’ current state into context, and he admitted he never felt like the team was going to have a fairytale ending.
“I never thought it would go on for another five or six years and Steph, Klay and Dray would retire together and I would retire with them. I never thought about that,” Kerr said. “I’ve been in the league a long time, whether it’s Chicago or wherever. It’s never easy, when these things start to wear off.
“But most importantly, relationships last. Memories last. Klay will have a statue outside of Chase [Center] “One day he will be loved by his teammates, his coaches and our fans forever. And yes, it’s never easy. But I think everything will work out for everyone.”
