The Christmas Day clash between the Mavericks and Warriors was Klay Thompson’s first return game to the Bay this season. In what was slated to be a special reunion among Hall of Famers bonded for life, the evening turned into an awkward occasion.
Thompson’s split from Golden State wasn’t the most amicable due to his feeling minimized on the team towards the end. While there was no reason to believe he wouldn’t remain a Warrior his whole career, things changed.
Thompson felt like an afterthought and left for a fresh start and renewed sense of belonging. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, however, always hoped his forever home was with the Warriors.
One thing was evident following the Christmas matchup: Thompson has moved on, but the Warriors haven’t.
Love Lost?
Before tipoff against the Mavericks, Curry made the intentional decision to pay homage to his former splash brother. Curry, a sneaker free agent after parting ways with Under Armour, has spent the last month and a half testing out various players’ shoes. For the first time competing against Thompson this season, the choice was obvious to Curry as to what kicks he would rock.
Curry went with the Anta KT11 shoes as a nod to Thompson and their 13 years as backcourt-mates.
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But Thompson undermined Curry’s sentimental gesture in his postgame comments and in his interaction with Curry after the game.
Thompson conspicuously avoided delving into the reunion with his ex-teammates. He responded tersely when pried about what it meant seeing Curry wear his shoes.
“It was great; really cool. Wish he didn’t get a win in them, but it was awesome. Respect,” he said.
Though he at least recognized the gesture, Thompson’s disinterest in walking down memory lane was an indication of how he felt about his departure. He was then asked if he got to catch up more with former teammates or noticed the fan cheers when he practiced pregame.
“Not really,” he answered in a laconic manner before shaking his head and going for another sip of his smoothie. “I was just locked in on getting loose.”
For someone who experienced everything imaginable with the franchise that drafted him, a lack of acknowledgement to the fans rubbed Dub Nation the wrong way.
Cameras also caught Curry and Thompson briefly dapping up postgame, with Curry appearing to talk to Thompson as he moved away.
A jovial catch-up isn’t always the case for the player on the losing side. But the moment seemed too callous, given the unbreakable decade-plus history shared among the two parties.
One-Sided Hurt
Thompson may not have been in a chatty mood due to his team’s loss. Or he may still be holding on to bitterness about how things ended, even if it wasn’t Curry’s fault.
But the noticeable juxtaposition between his brevity and his former teammates’ wistfulness is a sign of how differently they have handled the split.
Curry, Green, and Steve Kerr all echoed the oddity of seeing the beloved Warrior on the opposing side. They are also holding out hope that Thompson will someday return to put on a Warriors jersey again.
Curry recently expressed that he wishes Thompson were still a part of the Warriors. Walking into the locker room and seeing Thompson’s name gone will never feel normal. Even being on different teams, Curry is still protective of Thompson when players (specifically young ones) try to mess with him. There have been numerous examples of opponents attempting to get under his skin, calling him “washed” or reminding him he isn’t the same player he used to be.
It still hurts Curry knowing that his old shooting partner has to fend for himself without the support of the guys who’ve always had his back.
What the four of them built together is everlasting. That is what makes the distant pleasantries from Thompson sting so much. He didn’t just avoid emotionality; he buried the deep history with the franchise that watched him grow up — that took a chance on him.
Never Say Never
The Mavericks have struggled with Anthony Davis being perpetually hurt and Kyrie Irving still rehabbing his torn ACL. The new-look Mavs team likely isn’t what Thompson envisioned when he signed there.
For now, the relationship between him and the Warriors is the tale of one devastated partner struggling to get over a painful breakup, clinging to the remnants of what once was, while the other has moved on. In the Warriors’ case, it is as if latching on to the years of memories will somehow alter the present reality or reverse the past.
A potential return to Golden State is not out of the question for Thompson. He will hit unrestricted free agency at the end of next season, as will Curry and Green. The new Mav deserves to make whatever decision he wants for himself. He has earned that right, no matter how much it stings his old team.
If the Warriors love him, it was best they set him free if that is what he truly wanted. But Klay Thompson will always be a Warrior — whether or not he comes back.
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