Klay Thompson is gearing up for his first season with the Dallas Mavericks by diving into the teamโs history and culture.
Getting to Know the Mavericks:
Thompson has been immersing himself in all things Mavericks, even participating in the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation Tennis Classic. There, he played alongside franchise legends like Nowitzki, Steve Nash, and J.J. Barea. โItโs a great opportunity to be a part of this and kind of get myself ingratiated into everything,โ Thompson said. โI grew up watching Dirk and Steve, so I have great respect for those guys. I just wanted to get a feel for the city, and itโs fun to be out here. Tennis is a great sport. Iโm just excited to play today and hopefully hit some good shots.โ
A New Chapter with Dallas:
At 34, Thompson is starting fresh after joining Dallas through a complicated six-team trade this summer. He previously won four titles with the Warriors and hopes to continue that success with the Mavericks, who made it to the NBA Finals last season.
To bond with his new teammates, Thompson organized a boat trip to Catalina Island. โWe had a great crossing; the water was beautiful that day, the sun was out, and it was awesome,โ he shared. โWe did a lot of fun thingsโdiving off the boat, riding jet skis, or just swimming to shore. It was such a beautiful day…those moments as teammates are ones you cherish for life.โ
Training Camp and Season Expectations:
With training camp around the corner, Thompson is ready for “go time.” The Mavericks are expected to be title contenders again this season. As one of NBA history’s top three-point shooters, he will likely get many open shots playing alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
Though age and injuries have slightly slowed him down, Thompson remains an outside shooting threat that defenses must watch out for. Last season with the Warriors, he averaged 17.9 points per game while shooting 43.2% from the field and 38.7% from three-point range.
Fans think Klay will fit right in!
Learning from Past Champions:
To better understand his new teamโs potential, Thompson watched videos of the Mavericks’ 2011 championship run against Miami Heat in awe of their chemistry on court.
โIโm excited; itโs a whole new chapter of my career that has potential,โ said Thompson.โThe team was so close last yearโthree wins away from winning it allโso I know we have what it takes…we just need unity week by week.โ He added: “Thatโs why Iโm here earlyโto get familiarized while having fun.โ
