SAN FRANCISCO – Klay Thompson didn’t like the fact that the Mavericks lost his first game back at Chase Center against the Golden State Warriors.
But he wasn’t going to let that dampen the joyous night he had in his return to the Bay Area, where fans clearly still think Thompson is one of their own.
If you were looking for a teardrop or thinking that Thompson would be overwhelmed by the emotions, you’d have been wrong. He didn’t spend a lot of time or energy wondering about how Tuesday night would go. He instead waited for it to happen and while the emotions were undeniable, he was under control and able to absorb it all and enjoy it in his own way.
“I actually didn’t think much of (what to expect) because I wanted to go in here with an open mind,” Thompson said after the Mavericks dropped a hard-fought 120-117 decision to the Warriors. “It was a really cool experience. I appreciate the fans very much.”
Most of them were wearing the captain’s hats that the Warriors supplied to all 18,064 fans in the sellout crowd. It was in support of Thompson’s affinity for taking his boat on San Francisco Bay, sometimes using it to commute to Chase Center for games.
“The captain’s hat ended up being a great touch since I’m such a passionate boater,” Thompson said. “That was a warm-hearted feeling. It was really cool to see the fans’ gratitude. It’s something I won’t ever take for granted. So it was very awesome.”
Thompson spent 13 seasons with the Warriors, two of which he didn’t play because of major leg injuries. He was part of four championships and was beloved by fans virtually from the minute he arrived as a rookie out of Washington State.
And yet, he tried his best to break his adoring fans’ hearts. He poured in six three-pointers and finished with 22 points.
“I thought played great with all of the attention from the fans and also from the organization,” coach Jason Kidd said. “The Warriors did an incredible job of honoring him. I thought he played his game and he put us in a position to win that game.”
Said Luka Dončić: “I think he handled it great. Obviously it’s a lot of emotions coming back here. He was here a long time, won a lot. I think he handled it great, but it’s hard to play in these kind of games.”
You wouldn’t have known it by Thompson’s demeanor. He was calm and collected, at least on the outside. But the show of support was enough to make most people misty.
What kind of player earns that sort of love and respect?
“You have to be one who hangs four banners and has done it in a way that captures the hearts of the fans,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “It’s not just the skill with Klay. It’s not the commitment to the organization, the competitive desire.
“There’s an aura about him that connected our fans to him right away. And that’s pretty rare for somebody to do that and have that kind of impact.”
The moment Thompson stepped on the court at Chase Center, he was cheered. A sellout crowd, most of them wearing the captain’s hats that they got courtesy of the Warriors, doffed those caps and gave a terrific ovation during warmups.
Before tipoff, Thompson was the last Maverick to be announced to the crowd and a tribute video captured some of the many highlights to his career with the Warriors. He then walked to the court with a bevy of cameras following his every move.
The crowd was standing and cheering as Thompson gave a few taps to his heart and blew a kiss or two.
Moments later, he gave Steph Curry a quick hug before the jump ball.
Basically, a hero’s welcome home.
But also a tribute for a job well done and a realization that Thompson now is a former Warrior.
And what he did in coming back from knee and Achilles surgeries only added to his legacy in the Bay Area.
“What he overcame is almost unprecedented – two career-threatening injuries back to back, being out for two and a half years in the prime of his career, it was devastating for him,” Kerr said. “And I think the couple years after he came back, he struggled reconciling all of that, losing those prime seasons. We saw that, saw him struggle with it emotionally.
“We saw him fight to get his game back, he helped us win a championship, led the league in threes two years ago. He did a lot of amazing things. And we wished it could have gone on forever, that Klay would have finished his career with us. But circumstances always dictate these things.”
Not that Kerr disagreed with Thompson’s decision to end his time with Golden State.
“In the end, I think he made the right choice,” he said. “I think he needed a fresh start. I think he needed a new set of surroundings and that was apparent last year. He was not happy and that was hard to see because he deserves to be happy. At his core, he’s a very happy person, so it was tough to see him struggle with the repercussions of those injuries.”
Kidd agreed with Kerr that the change of scenery has been a good thing, and not just for Thompson.
“I think he’s happy,” Kidd said. “As an athlete, your career has a start and has an end. So for Klay, one, he’s happy. Sometimes change is better for both sides. Both sides win. Klay wins and the Warriors win. And you move forward. I think his mental (state) is in a great place.
“Right off the bat, he said he’s home. He’s enjoyed Dallas and we’ve enjoyed having him, his leadership, his ability to know what it means and what it takes to win championships, so his leadership in the short amount of time, he’s figured it out. And with Luka and Kai, it’s only going to get better.”
Thompson had a couple of playful moments with his former Splash Brother.
When Curry took Thompson to the paint and scored, getting fouled in the process, he stared down Thompson. Not to be outdone, Thompson gave Curry a little shoulder shimmy after one of his three pointers.
They are friends forever, except when they guard each other.
“It was an impomptu thing, but when you’re feeling it you do stuff instinctually,” Thompson said of his antics. “I’ve done it before. I know Steph’s done it many times. So it was fun, a playful thing to do.
“He was kind of surprised I did it, but I hit a great shot and I’ll probably do it again in the future. I play my best when I’m loose.
For his part, Curry was more stunned by the first play of the game than the pregame hoopla.
“That’s my guy, my friend, my road dog for 13 years,” Curry said. “There’s a lot of history, so you’re going to have a lot of back and forth. Some of it was competitive, some of it fun.
“I was surprised they ran a post-up for him on the first play. I blacked out. I wasn’t going to let him score. And I fouled him.”
Thompson and Curry guarded each other frequently, but it’s nothing they haven’t done before in practices.
When it was done, Thompson reflected on it all. He was glad to have this day over with, but also incredibly thankful that he could be a part of it. He said the 400 or so Warriors’ employees who lined the hallway as he walked from the bus to the locker room were more than he could have expected.
“That was really cool,” he said. “I’m very grtateful for the employees to give me that kind of love. That was really cool and I’m very grateful for that. Totally unexpected. And it definitely put a smile on my face and it’s something I’ll never forget. Kudos to the organization for making it happen.
“Change happens. It’s happened to plenty of great players. It was a night I’ll never forget. Unfortunately it was a tough loss. It could have easily gone our way. But that’s life. There’s plenty more battles ahead.”
But never another first reunion with his former team, and their fans that still adore Thompson.
X: @ESefko
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